Alde Garden
| Type | Business |
|---|---|
| Sector | Tourism |
| Business size | 1-9 |
| Area of green Expertise | Procurement |
| Business network/ Club membership |
LILI, Cool Camping, Facebook. |
| Website | www.aldegarden.co.uk/ |
| Contact | Contact this case study |
A small low-impact campsite and holiday cottage, focusing on appreciation of the environment and recycling. Our eclectic range of accommodation includes yurts, a tipi, a gypsy caravan, a bell tent and a period cottage. The campsite is within the grounds of an old pub, which is soon to re-open.
Nearly all the furniture and fittings in all of the accommodation are either recycled or handmade from reclaimed materials. Free bike hire. Solar hot water for showers. Free taxi from station if arriving by public transport. Solar and wind-up lighting in garden and accommodation. Support of environmental charities.
EET's Alternative Accommodation Certification Scheme. Suffolk Carbon Charter (Gold)
Learn as much as you can so you can do things for yourself. The solar hot water system, for instance, we fitted ourselves – saving lots of money and providing lots of pleasure! There are a lot of training courses out there. Network with other businesses and individuals of like mind - a great source of inspiration and problem solving! Research as much as you can and try to plan ahead. If you plan to install a wood-fired heating system, for instance, when funds allow – bear this in mind when choosing what will warm the building in the meantime. Be positive!
It has been absolutely amazing and lots of fun. The only thing we could have done with knowing (we were told this, but we should have believed it) is: everything takes three times as long as you expect it to, and costs three times as much.
The only thing we would do differently is give ourselves more time. What worked really well was involving friends and family members - we wouldn't be where we are without them.
My lovely dad! Also BusinessLink were a great source of advice and support. LILI (Low Impact Living Initiative) host a massive array of environmental training courses, sell some amazing books and can also offer advice
