Alistair Handyside MBE – Board Member

Alistair is the Executive Chair of the Professional Association of Self-Caterers UK (PASC UK). He owns the award winning Higher Wiscombe holiday cottages with his wife Lorna. In 2020/21, Higher Wiscombe won Best Self Catering in both the Visit Devon Tourism Awards and at the SW Tourism Excellence Awards and have previously won Gold twice at the Visit England National Tourism Awards.

Alistair set up PASC UK in 2017, to fill a gap to support professional self-caterers and PASC UK is now the largest organisation serving this sector in the UK.

Alistair was also instrumental in the successful establishment of the SW Tourism Alliance, which he also Chairs, believing a unified voice for the South West was critical when lobbying for the region.  Alistair is also the former Chairman of the South West Coast Path, is the former Chair of Premier Cottages, a Director at the Wales Tourism Alliance, Council Member for the Tourism Alliance and recently retired as Chair of the East Devon National Landscape/AONB after fourteen years service.

Alistair was awarded the MBE in the June 2018 Queens Honours list for voluntary services to tourism in the South West.

Jayne McClure

Jayne McClure is the CEO of Travel Chapter, one of the UK and Ireland’s leading providers of high-quality holiday rental properties. With a portfolio of over 15,000 properties, Travel Chapter operates a range of trusted brands, including its flagship brand, holidaycottages.co.uk, renowned for offering exceptional stays across the UK. The company provides a diverse range of accommodation, from charming countryside cottages to luxury coastal retreats, with a steadfast commitment to quality and service.

Jayne joined Travel Chapter in 2011 as CFO, later transitioning to COO, and became CEO in 2019. Throughout her tenure, she has been instrumental in driving the company’s transformation and growth, embedding a people-first vision that prioritizes team culture and customer satisfaction. Her leadership has ensured that Quality and Service remain at the heart of Travel Chapter’s operations, cementing its reputation as a trusted leader in the holiday rental sector for both homeowners and guests alike. Under her leadership, Travel Chapter recently achieved B Corp certification, demonstrating her commitment to social and environmental responsibility.

Before her time at Travel Chapter, Jayne was a practising Chartered Accountant for 14 years, gaining extensive expertise in financial management and strategic planning. This foundation has been key to her success in navigating the challenges of a dynamic industry. As well as being a holiday let owner herself, when not working Jayne loves nothing more than exploring the country staying in self-catering accommodation with her family and two dogs.

After university Lorna’s first job was in Brighton working for a company arranging placements for contract computer programmers before gaining experience as a technical sales representative for a company manufacturing plastic extruded mouldings mainly for the automotive industry.

A stint in the City of London followed, initially working for the London Stock Exchange during The Big Bang deregulation, then Quotron and Finally BT’s Dealer Board Telephony Division.

Marriage and three children then saw Lorna establishing an art publishing business, chairing local volunteer groups, and standing in a District Council election.

Project managing a stunning barn conversion in Northamptonshire gave Lorna the experience and knowledge to do the same, on a much bigger scale. The purchase and renovation of Higher Wiscombe, a run-down farm in East Devon and converting the property in 2003 and running it as the award-winning business it is today.

In addition to her work for PASC UK she has continued to volunteer locally having previously held a variety of roles such as Chair of a school specializing in Asperger’s and Autism and locally as a Governor at a local school.

Jess has been involved in the self-catering industry for over 25 years. She owns Sleeps12, specialising in luxury large group holiday houses in the UK. Whilst she and her husband Ashley rented out their own home, Jessica spent 2 years researching the UK holiday market, discovering a gap for premium large group accommodation with top rate facilities. They added 3 properties to their land in Somerset, a forward-thinking decision that led to fellow farmers and friends asking for help and advice with letting or developing their properties for holidays. Jessica set up an agency which evolved to become Sleeps12 in 2008. 

The company continues to grow, offering an award-winning collection of large group holiday properties. It’s a brand you can trust; the very reliable team in the office provide all-round expert advice and support, working closely with owners and even advising on new builds right from the planning stages. The business runs a user-friendly website on their own efficient platform, which is also available to other holiday cottage owners. 

Dan has been the Commercial Director of Classic Cottages since September 2020. Classic Cottages is a family-owned holiday letting agency that’s been in the business since 1977. Classic market over 1,300 self-catering holiday homes across England and Wales. Dan also sits on the board of Sapphire Holidays Limited, the parent company of Aspects Holidays, Boutique Retreats, Classic Cottages, and Unique Hideaways.  Before becoming director, Dan held the position of Group Financial Controller for four years. 

In 2016, Dan swapped the hustle and bustle of Manchester for the serene landscapes of Cornwall. Prior to that, he spent several years working with large accountancy firms in Manchester, specialising in audit and commercial finance. He qualified as a chartered accountant back in 2009.

His experience in the field of accountancy is not confined to practice alone, but also extends to roles he held at AstraZeneca and an international manufacturing company. During his tenure at the latter, he was a part of the UK senior leadership team.

Ben Spier – Board Member

A lawyer by background, Ben spent over a decade in the Government Legal Department advising ministers, shaping policy, and drafting legislation. Alongside PASC UK, he has worked closely with the Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers and other tourism groups, advising on regulation and policy across the UK, and engaging MPs, MSs, ministers, civil servants, local councillors, and more.

He’s a familiar voice in the media nationally and regionally, where he’s been a strong advocate for sensible, proportionate regulation of the self-catering sector.

Ben has already supported PASC UK on a wide range of policy issues, from EPCs to statutory registration. The eagle eyed amongst you will have seen him in pictures in the Political Update section as we have attended dozens of meetings together previously.

Ben’s legal expertise will not only assist us on our advocacy work, it will also help as we finalise the Governance of PASC UK leading to Board elections and an AGM in 2026.

Joining PASC UK is easy, a single property is just £90 (plus VAT from 1 January 2025) per annum. Membership gives a range of benefits including email and phone support and numerous sector specific papers on topics ranging from legal papers providing Terms and Conditions, CCTV etc, plus papers dealing with VOA, Business Rates, EV Charging etc as well as access to discounts via the PASC UK Buying Club.