Firstly, we want to thank everyone who has taken the time out to read our blog. We're hoping at least one person out there could help in some way. We are not charity cases, we want to work and we will work all the hours god sends to make this happen. If you are interested in our venture, please contact us as soon as you can.
We have a plan, we have the skills, but what we don't have is assets or our own capital to raise the funds needed to capture the property needed to run a business in the form of a campsite, where we can also run, if not one, then several land based charities. The property we are looking at is in Dolgellau in Snowdonia in Wales, it has 27 acres of pasture and 39 acres of Bluebell woodland, along with a spring fed lake and beautiful surrounding views. We have done much leg work on this plan, and have made all the relevant contacts. The campsite has no accounts due to the previous owners being aged who ran the campsite along side their farm, however, it does have the relevant licences, but the facilities "do" need to be updated. The property itself is a 3 bed traditional stone and slate Welsh farm house with several outbuildings. The property and land has been valued at £595,000. But we require £730,000 to set up and to cover our cost and our wages (set at £10k each p.a.) for the first 18 months. If we still have your attention, please read on....
We have been to the chambers of commerce in Maidstone Kent, where they were very excited with the plan and the details we incorporated, they remarked on how much work we had put in to it and the passion we have to make this one of the best campsites in Snowdonia. They were also very excited about the charity aspect of our venture. We have spoken to Sustainable Gwynedd, the Welsh Assembly,the gardening group in Dolgellau, B and Q as well as Morgan and Thompson seeds, who are willing to provide the charity with all the relevant equipment to start a community allotment for the disadvantaged, elderly and the disabled. We hope that the local people will take this opportunity for a small members fee of £4 for 2 years. We will supply them with tools, sheds and seeds etc to get them started in growing their own food, with the prospect of selling on their excess produce via our farm/camp shop, which in turn will fund the following years projects on the allotment. Working as a co-operative we hope they will gain new skills and the confidence to pull themselves out of the depressive state that such people can find themselves in.
All the time saving themselves money from what little income they have, we hope they will use any extra funds towards the ever increasing costs of life, allowing them to pay their bills and work at getting their debts down or even to purchase clothing for their children or take their children for days out to the coast etc.
We understand the difficulties they encounter as we ourselves are on very low incomes as we speak, hence our plea for help.
We have other charity work in mind, including setting up a camping field for Child carers, where they can come on holiday and be children again, giving them the chance to meet other children who also care for family members.
Having woodland available, we can also use this for a third charity, where the unemployed and/or disabled can gain new skills in land management. Working closely with the local councils we hope to be a hive of activity where people can come and enjoy the outdoor environment whilst keeping fit in both body and mind and build their confidence enough so that they will feel ready to re-enter the work place.
With this in mind, we understand that we will need to find people who will be willing to give up some of their time and share their knowledge with people who may feel they have been forgotten about by society.
We did have a business angel, who was willing to back the project 100%, but regrettably had to pull out at the 11th hour due to other investments requiring his attention and funding. This left us with only one option, the banks, as we have no assets or spare cash to fund the start up, we approached the chambers of commerce, where they were convinced that we would have no problems getting 100% backing from the banks as it is such a strong business opportunity with a good profit margin and growth rate due to its location. Snowdonia has many tourist attractions as well as a steady flow of trade throughout the year, with outdoor pursuit types visiting even in the colder months. I myself have been there in the middle of winter and absolutely loved the snow capped mountains and the cold misty mornings. The national cycle route passes right through the middle of the land in question and with the Mawdachh trail close by and a world class mountain bike centre wit in easy reach of the campsite we hope to attract many customers. Our idea is to have a low impact campsite, with tents, caravans and eco pods tucked away in the tree line, we intend not to spoil the views for passing tourists.
Our expansion plans and other revenue streams can be explained in greater detail if you are genuinely interested in helping our business get off the ground.
We are sorry to say that time is of the essence as we have made an offer on the property that has been excepted and so now, its crunch time. The vendor wishes us to have the property of which we have made an offer of £570k, as we are planning to revamp the campsite and help the local community. Everyone wants a piece of this pie, but no-one is willing to take the first bite, so please help if you can. We wish to receive 50% of the initial set up costs, with the option to purchase back the shares at a later date, at the market value at that time.
We are proud people, and don't want to have to ask for this investment, but this is such a good opportunity to not only make a good living, but also to help others who are unable to help themselves.
Thank you for your time, any advice in raising funds would be greatly appreciated.
Berling Gap
Bewl Water
Bewl Water
Hever Castle
Hever Castle
