A local business support service has assisted a globally unique luxury Northumberland holiday let with marketing support to highlight their cutting edge Green Tourism property.
Warksburn Old Church, located near Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland and originally built in 1875, has undergone a transformative £1 million redevelopment, delivering radical energy efficiency, to become the world’s first Passivhaus-certified church conversion. Owners Alan and Anne James wanted to ensure word got out about the project, so enlisted the support of Northumberland Small Business Service.
The Northumberland Small Business Service (NSBS) is delivered by Northumberland County Council. NSBS is part funded by the North East Combined Authority and the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and the Rural England Prosperity Fund, with the North East Combined Authority as the lead authority.
Anne and Alan delivered the project by working with a team architects, heritage restoration specialists, a highly skilled local builder and local tradespeople, all of whom are Northumberland-based, supported by expert technical consultants and suppliers from across Europe. This mix of skills enabled a renovation process which ensured that the church retained its historic features while also incorporating modern advancements such as triple glazing and super-thick ultra-insulation. Additionally, solar panels discreetly installed on the roof generate more electricity annually than the building consumes, whilst batteries store solar power for use after sunset.
The reborn Warksburn Old Church holiday let is the first of its kind anywhere in the world, designed to showcase how a 19th Century heritage building can be successfully blended with cutting-edge sustainable design, creating a luxurious, Net-Zero holiday retreat.
Alan and Anne wanted to promote this innovative and stunning transformation, which is also an impressive addition to the Northumberland tourism economy, and used the Enterprise & Start Up Grant from NSBS for PR Consultancy to promote their business on a global scale.
The business owners received a £2,000 grant to support PR efforts, helping them promote their holiday let to a wider audience and establish their brand within the competitive tourism market.
Alan said “Having access to expert PR consultants, and their contact networks, means we are likely not only secure more media coverage, but that it we are more likely to feature in high quality publications. And quality media, quite simply, translates into quality bookings for our business”.
The support from the Northumberland Small Business Service has been instrumental in helping the couple market their business. Additional to the funding support for the PR campaign, Alan and Anne also benefited from a fully funded digital marketing campaign, which boosted their online visibility and engagement, ensuring their eco-conscious holiday retreat gained the attention it deserved. In addition, they took advantage of business skills workshops provided as part of the wider NSBS support, developing and refining the necessary skills and knowledge to drive and sustain the future growth of their business.
Alan said “We knew achieving the rigorous Passivhaus standard in a historic building would be a challenge. We are very proud and are grateful that with the support from NSBS we can shout about our new business venture and spotlight the importance of achieving net zero as a tourism business.
Anne said: “This project has been a labour of love, and we’re so proud to offer something truly one-of-a-kind. The support we received allowed us tell the world and, more importantly, our future customers, about how we have repurposed this historic church, and made it fit for purpose in a Net Zero future, without compromising its heritage or its character.”
Lucy Evermore, NSBS Programme Manager said “The variety of businesses we get to work with is amazing. The innovation from Warksburn Old Church is truly astounding and the team and I are excited to have been able to support with their marketing efforts. We look forward to hearing more about the success of Warksburn Old Church”.
NSBS also offers assistance to micro-small sized businesses across Northumberland. The experienced team and its range of experts work directly with businesses and individuals to help them start, grow, diversify, and sustain their ventures through workshops, 1-2-1 support and networking events across the county.
Eligible businesses can still access a Enterprise Grant to the value of £2,000. This grant is for pre-starts or businesses within the first year of trading, to apply, please register to NSBS here:
https://northumberlandsmallbusiness.co.uk
NSBS is part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.
If you have any questions about the event or the Northumberland Small Business Service, please visit Northumberland Small Business Service or contact the team at [email protected].
Warksburn Old Church
Website: https://warksburnoldchurch.com/
For further information or quotes, please contact Dr Alan James at [email protected] or call 07786 260899.
Media Library: https://warksburnoldchurch.com/medialibrary
