The winners of the UK Theme Park Awards 2025 will be determined by combining public votes with scores from our expert judging panel - find out more about them.
Andy Hine MBE
Chairman
Roller Coaster Club of Great Britain
Andy founded the Roller Coaster Club of Great Britain in 1988 with the aims of uniting coaster enthusiasts worldwide, promoting amusement parks as a fun and safe pastime and assisting parks and manufacturers in the pursuit of new attractions. He has worked on many safety campaigns, ride openings and has tirelessly promoted the industry through all forms of media. He has written many articles for various magazines, both trade and high street. In 2004 he was honoured by Her Majesty the Queen of England who awarded him an MBE for his contributions to the industry. Andy is responsible for over 40,000 people visiting UK and European Parks and has taken almost 3000 people from the UK to visit over 100 US parks.
“I am proud to be involved in recognising the achievements of UK theme parks as it is vitally important that everyone knows that the UK can compete with the best that the rest of the world has to offer. Proving that you don’t need to leave the UK to experience some fantastic rides and attractions.”
Chris Belvin-Bailey
Founder
Attraction Source
Chris is the owner and founder of Attraction Source - one of the largest online communities for fans of theme parks and attractions in the UK and beyond, also encompassing the TowersTimes brand. The community aims to bring like-minded people together, whether that be via the websites, social media or in person at one of the unforgettable enthusiast events.
“I'm grateful to have been asked to be a judge for the 2025 UK Theme Park Awards! It’s another exciting year to be a fan or industry professional, and I can’t wait to celebrate all the successes again - so good luck to those nominated!”
Dawn Foote
Co-Founder & CEO
Katapult
Dawn is the co-founder and CEO of Katapult. An award-winning creative industries leader, she has experience in guest destinations, the cultural sector and strategic collaborations. Dawn is on the Executive Committee for Experience UK and a Board Member at the Themed Entertainment Association. Dawn has worked on everything from international projects, with Atlantis The Palm in Dubai and the global roll out of projects for The LEGO Group & Merlin Entertainments, through to a wide range of projects across the UK.
"I'm super excited to be a part of the UK Theme Park Awards judging panel, which will celebrate and showcase the attractions created by our talented industry. It's also wonderful to be coming together, in person, to meet the people behind creating them."
John Fosbrooke
Publisher
InterPark
With over thirty years of experience in publishing, John has led several B2B magazines within the entertainment sector. His lifelong passion for themed attractions is evident in every edition of the magazine and serves as the driving force behind the website's content. InterPark offers a comprehensive archive of up-to-date information tailored to theme park professionals, underpinned by a deep understanding of the industry it serves.
“It’s an honour to highlight the remarkable achievements of the UK theme park sector, which competes on a global stage and delivers attractions that make the UK proud. While this is a UK award, it’s clear that the world is watching."
Lauren Heath-Jones
Editorial Director
Planet Attractions
Lauren has been writing about the attractions and wider leisure industries for eight years. Since 2020, she has served as the Editorial Director of Planet Attractions, a leading news source covering all sectors of the global attractions market, where she creates news, features and video content for the website and its social channels. Backed by a world-class news team, industry specialists and influencers, and a behind-the-scenes team of the same calibre, Planet Attractions creates compelling content for both B2B and consumer audiences.
"I'm thrilled to be part of the judging panel for the 2025 UK Theme Park Awards! There have been a lot of exciting developments in the UK attractions industry over the past 12 months and I'm delighted to play a small part in their recognition."
Lawrence Roots
Founder
ThemeParks-UK.com
Lawrence established ThemeParks-UK.com in 2000, making it the longest running website dedicated to UK theme parks and providing an independent consumer guide for 25 years. The website offers a wide range of information on the most popular theme parks in the UK. He continues to produce detailed reviews of new rides and attractions at UK theme parks, but also travels to the US and across Europe to create content for ThemeParks-US.com and ThemeParks-EU.com, launched in 2010 and 2018 respectively.
“The awards are returning bigger and even better this year, as the public interest continues to grow. It will be the sixth year that we celebrate all of the biggest achievements at theme parks around the UK. I'm delighted that we'll be able to bring together so many representatives from theme parks with other industry professionals and content creators.”
Mark Locker
Founder & CEO
Attractions.io
Mark is the founder and CEO of Attractions.io, the leading provider of guest-facing mobile apps to the experience economy. A passionate believer that tech can help real-world experiences thrive in the digital age, Mark is a regular speaker at industry events and conferences, showcasing how attractions can use mobile technology to enhance their physical experiences and generate rich guest insights that they can leverage to boost guest spending and engagement. He’s helped the UK’s biggest names, including Alton Towers, Chester Zoo and Butlin's.
“It feels like a natural fit for us to celebrate the achievements of the UK attractions industry with the 2025 Theme Park Awards. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to explore the incredibly creative initiatives that have taken place and honour the hard work that’s gone into making them a success.”
Paul Kelly
Chief Executive
British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions
Paul has had a 35 year professional interest and enjoyment with Britain's theme parks. His career started as an operator on a ride at Thorpe Park. It didn't take long to get hooked into the atmosphere and energy of that environment. During 15 years at Thorpe Park, Paul worked in all areas of the park's operation. This proved beneficial when taking up the role of Head of Operations for the opening of the London Eye in 2000. After 5 enjoyable years at the London Eye, more theme parks and other visitor attractions became part of a daily routine whilst working as a member of the business development set up for Merlin. As CEO for BALPPA, Paul has continued to work in the theme park and attractions sector and gets to experience the innovation and passion that still drives this industry on a daily basis.
“Being part of this judging team allows me to acknowledge some of the hard work and expertise that goes into the design and delivery of great experiences across the UK theme park sector.”
Scott Bickerton
Founder
Your Experience Guide
Scott founded Your Experience Guide - originally Pleasure Beach Experience - in 2009 with the aim of bringing Blackpool Pleasure Beach fans together in an online community. Since then, this community has grown thanks to its popular roller coaster enthusiast events hosted at UK, European and American theme parks. Through the Your Experience Guide brand, Scott also runs a popular YouTube channel documenting experiences at visitor attractions all over the world.
“I’m grateful and excited to be part of the UK Theme Park Awards for 2025, and can’t wait to collaborate with the talented team on the panel.”
