Vegan guest house in the New Forest, England
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
By following a plant based diet people can have a considerably reduced carbon footprint. Cutting out meat and dairy products has a greater effect on this than getting rid of ones car. So promoting and supporting those who choose such a lifestyle is an important environmental issue.
We are 100% solar powered - our photovoltaic system gives us all the power we use over the course of a year.
We have a flat panel solar hot water system too which greatly helps reduce the amount of fossil fuels we use.
We use chemical free washing and cleaning products and take great care over the amount of water we use having installed very efficient water saving devices in all our wcs. By doing so we reduced our annual water use by over 30%.
Our bed linen and towels are all made from organic cotton thus reducing the demand for damaging pesticides.
We hate waste and never throw good food away. We have a large compost heap and a wormery and our four dogs eat any edible left overs!
We encourage guests to travel by public transport by offering discounts on stays. Those who do come by car are encouraged to use them minimally while they are on holiday.
Community
We are members of the New Forest Transition group which aims to strengthen local communities and make them more resilient to face the likely changes arising from climate change and peak oil. Through New Forest Transition Richard set up and has run the 'New Forest Food Challenge' for the past two years - this aims to get people thinking about the food they eat, where it comes from and what it does to them and the planet we live on.
We support the Ashurst and Colbury Community Group by organising events. In 2011 we have been involved with setting up and running a local Big Lunch, a Seed Swap and an Apple Day.
Within the village of Ashurst we support other local businesses such as the Longdown Farm Shop, Herb Pot Bistro and Post Office by recommending them to our guests and using them ourselves.
We use locally grown produce as much as possible. And we support the local Brand New Forest Campaign by display materials and event. Brand New Forest is a campaign designed to support the local economy of the New Forest and the Food Challenge project leads on the 'Eat and Grow Local' element of the campaign.
Landscape
One of the ways we deepen our knowledge of the New Forest and its landscape is by being members of the Greenleaf Tourism Scheme operated by the new Forest District Council. Through the year members of this scheme are invited to events and visits which provide valuable insights into the importance of the area.
We are able to pass this knowledge on to our guests, suggesting, in particular, places to walk and cycle where they can gain an enhanced experience while on holiday in this very special environment.
By being part of New Forest Transition we have attended activities across the Forest area and learned from locals about aspects of the locale where they live.
Finally, the Ashurst & Colbury Community Group runs a programme of regular walks in all parts of the Forest led by local experts (including a New Forest Verderer) - participation on these is a very valuable way of extending our knowledge
