Raoul Fraser should know a good investment when he sees one. He spent 10 years as an investment banker with Goldman Sachs in America before branching out into solar farms.

Now he has turned his attention to holiday homes - and has snapped up more than a few on Sheppey . His two-year-old company Lovat Parks, named after his family's ancestral title, has bought seven sites across Britain including Cornwall, Norfolk, Suffolk and Wiltshire.

One of his first acquisitions was the Golden Leas complex at Minster. So why Sheppey ?

Head of operations Sean Power and general manager Jo Treadgold are in no doubt the island is a hidden gem and poised for a bright future.

Sean admitted: "People were surprised when we invested here. But the island has been undervalued for a long time. It has award-winning beaches, stunning views, wonderful nature reserves and the fact that it is an hour from London is hugely appealing to our customers."

Jo, who has been managing the site since it was bought two years ago, said: "Sheppey is what the quintessential British holiday should be. I admit I was cautious when I first moved here but now I love it.

"People need to stop berating Sheppey and begin talking about its positives. They should be proud to live here."

Sean said: "The great thing is there are so many places on the Island to visit - although you have to hunt them down. There is a lot of history but very little noise about it. Perhaps it needs shouting about more loudly. The Island needs its own storyteller."

He added: "It is a great place to explore other parts of Kent from. The notion parks want to keep customers on site is an old one. We encourage them to explore and crucially spend their money locally.

"We have teamed up with a local nursery and negotiated a discount for our customers. We champion local restaurants and village stores and enhance the local economy. Visitors will always want to buy an ice cream or a souvenir."

But he added: "The local authorities can help by making sure the infrastructure can cope with tourists. I am still astonished there are no brown tourist signs on the motorway to the Isle of Sheppey."

Jo said: "It's good to see new restaurants opening but Sheerness High Street looks as if it could do with a little more love and investment."

Lovat Parks is putting its money where its mouth is. Last year it spent £500,000 revamping the clubhouse and has installed solar panels on the roof to use 'green' energy. The new-look bar was opened by Sittingbourne and Sheppey MP Gordon Henderson.

Golden Leas features a family-friendly 250-pitch, 22-acre site with clubhouse, play area and outside heated pool at the end of Bell Farm Lane. Estuary View Park next door has 17 lodges and caravans reserved for the over-50s. Neighbouring Pear Tree Farm Park is a small residential site for nine.

Sister site Hollybush Park, tucked away at the bottom of Oak Lane, has 65 plots including new luxury lodges with sea views. The latest to take advantage of it is Pauline Bratton, 63, a retired customer services manager from Orpington.

The mother-of-three and grandmother-of-three has set up home with her nine-week-old beagle-poo called Hector.

She said: "I've known Sheppey since I was a child. My parents brought me here and I have brought my children here. Now they bring their own children. This site gives me the best of both worlds. When the grandchildren are here we go to Golden Leas for the swimming pool and playground. When they go home I come back for the peace and quiet. You can't beat it."

Lovat Parks has submitted an application to convert an empty field next to Hollybush into a residential site to take advantage of Swale council's new policy on holiday parks. But Jo stressed: "We want to remain as a holiday park on our other sites."

Lovat Parks says it is the world's first holiday park company to be B Corp-certified. Jo said: "It means customers always come first.

"We still need to make a profit but in a responsible way and to make a positive impact on the environment, staff and local communities."

Visitors are encouraged to "connect with nature and embrace a slower pace of life".

Golden Leas has been voted Sheppey's Friendliest Holiday Park three years in a row. During the coronavirus lockdown Jo delivered food boxes to those in need, the company sent newsletters to all customers, phoned them and despatched videos of their 'happy homes' to show they were safe.

Key workers were offered free accommodation and the company paid for a new mast for community radio station BRFM which is based nearby.

Read more: All the latest news from Sheppey here