Tel. +44 (0)1273 600030 (UK)
We are definitely making a difference to our local travel industry. The reason is because we are catering for a market that has not been catered for in the past, or if it has, has been done badly. We are getting disabled people into the local community, previously where they have been hidden away, we are getting local trades people to think about accessibility and how they can improve this, we are ensuring that disabled people have the same choices as a non disabled person whereas previously they have not been given the option, and most importantly of all we are not charging the disabled person for the privilege!
We have renovated/converted a previously derelict building within a community that was previously an eyesore/blot on the landscape. It had been derelict for around forty years was in a total state of disrepair but we have worked to convert it sympathetically and historically, recycling as much of the old building materials as possible. During this process we used local businesses to source materials and build, and we still try to source all materials locally. We have used low energy lighting, all heaters have thermostats and timers to keep usage to a minimum and we are working on a complete garden watering system using recycled water.
We recycle glass, plastic and metals at the local recycling centre. We have our own composting system in the form of two pot bellied pigs, who eat all the food waste from our apartments. We then use the manure on the garden. They also compost all garden waste, grass clippings, weeds, etc. We have a herb garden that all guests are invited to use. No pesticides or herbicides are used anywhere in the garden and we encourage wildlife with bird tables and feeders, and we have purposefully left an area of the garden to be overgrown; this is where the pigs roam and there are lots of trees throughout this area.
We support local community projects by being members of the local Chamber of Commerce that organises several events throughout the year, not only to highlight the tourist activities that are held locally but also organise more local events such as lunch clubs, raising money for the church, raising money for the local residential care home, etc. We emply local staff, and encourage all our guests to use local shops and restaurants during their stay, especially for fish, all of which is grown and caught locally by local people. We also try and supply goods that are eco friendly and not necessarily mass produced – fair trade coffee, tea etc. We personally use eco friendly products for our changeovers, we hope that guests will too.
We invite every traveller who books a holiday via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the holidays they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same holiday can have different views!
