Isle of Wight self catering accommodation, England
How Isle of Wight self catering accommodation, England makes a difference
Environment
We aim to minimise the harmful effects and maximise the beneficial influences that our activities have on the Island’s environment.
We support Gift to Nature, an island project that gives visitors and locals the chance to get closer to nature and protects our precious island wildlife such as the red squirrel and the rare Wall lizard. We also support the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. We provide wildlife books and guides to help guests identify local birds and animals. We have a laminated booklet for snorkellers which illustrates the sealife that can be found around the coasts of the island. We provide a pair of binoculars for guests’ use. We provide bird feeders and food (peanuts, sunflower seeds, niger seeds, suet). We provide a nestboxes for blue tits. We have a “Wildlife diary” where we and our guests record any wildlife we see in the garden.
We have adopted the island’s new waste collection scheme and note that recycling rates have tripled since its introduction in January 2012. We provide a kitchen caddy for food waste and a wheelie bin for recyclable waste. Instructions on waste collection and recycling are clearly displayed in the cottage. We encourage guests to dispose of glass bottles, jars and aluminium cans via the mini-recycling site. We use electronic media as the core of our marketing strategy, advertising on several internet sites so our use of paper is minimal. We provide washing detergents in concentrated formats where available. We provide personal hygiene products in the same kind of formats as the guests may use in their own homes - we do not purchase individually packaged soaps, shampoos etc.
We have a water meter and encourage guests to be careful with their water use helped by the measures we have taken to reduce water consumption in the cottage, i.e. low flow rate showers, displacement device in the toilet, notices that remind our guests not to waste water in the shower or when cleaning their teeth. We have a notice in the bathroom asking guests not to dispose of items down the toilet but place them in the bags provided and dispose of in the rubbish bin. We have one water butt and this is used for watering and thanks to this we never have to use tap water for watering the garden.
We advise visitors (via a folder in the cottage) how they can help us save energy by turning off lights, using the microwave rather than the cooker, not filling the kettle, not leaving appliances on standby etc. We have A-rated appliances and 50% light bulbs are low energy or LED. We have insulation in the loft. We selected Good Energy as our electricity provider as they source electricity from people generating sustainably from wind turbines, solar panels, small hydro and sustainable biomass all around the country, supplying the national grid with only 100% green energy.
Our website and brochure promote the use of public transport. We fund ferry tickets if guests leave their car behind and travel as foot passengers. We provide guests with information on places to visit that are easily accessible via public transport and provides links to public transport providers, including ferry operators and buses. There is a bus stop in the village, opposite the village shop. In the cottage we provide Ordnance Survey and local town maps, walking and cycling guides. We promote the use of Wight Cycle Hire based locally in Yarmouth and they can deliver cycles to the cottage. The island is popular with cyclists and has dedicated cycleways. Our website includes a link to CycleWight, a local organisation which promotes cycling. Guests are given access to the garage so that they can store cycles securely.
We support the responsible use of chemicals and long term protection of the planet’s natural resources. When choosing products from our suppliers we therefore consider the value, performance, safety and wider sustainability impact of their products and operations, i.e. human safety, environmental safety, greenhouse gas emissions, water usage, waste and sustainable sourcing. We use recycled products in the cottage wherever possible including kitchen roll, bin bags and toilet paper. We include a list of suppliers of local produce and local crafts in our cottage. We provide a welcome hamper from the Brighstone Village Shop that includes local produce. We provide Fair Trade tea, coffee and sugar in the cottage. We provide Ecover and / or Isle of Wight Lavender soap and shower gel in the cottage.
Community
We provide leaflets on surrounding cultural attractions, including museums, National Trust and English Heritage properties, gardens, archeological sites, galleries, local events and festivals. We make the local parish newsletter available and ensure guests are aware of local events, e.g. Shorwell midsummer fair at Northcourt and Wolverton Manor Garden Fair. We also share our copy of the NGS Yellow Book so that guests can visit the local village gardens when they are open. We are a lifetime member of the Freshwater Independent Lifeboat and have made a £50 donation to the “Buy a brick” scheme to raise funds for the new boathouse and a £5 donation to the Freshwater Lifeboat Mosaic Appeal. We have joined the newly formed West Wight Marketing Group and work together to share best practices and support the sustainability agenda. We are members of the local Chamber of Commerce and are listed on the IOW Tourism website.
Landscape
We provide a wealth of information to our guests on how to enjoy the local landscape. With a spectacular coastline, rolling hills, green countryside, historic buildings and welcoming pubs, the island makes a great location to explore on foot or by bicycle. We provide an Ordnance Survey map and walking / cycling books & leaflets. As members of Hampshire & IOW Wildlife Trust we also share their newsletter and events diary. Have a look in our own wildlife diary to see what has been spotted in the garden - and please add any unique sightings of your own.
Isle of Wight self catering accommodation, England
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