Following 29 years as Founder & CEO of a global fashion brand that put people and planet above profit, thereby achieving Certified B Corporation status in the early days of the movement, I felt the need to accelerate my belief in adopting a circular economy.
Despite having been a pioneer in the use of recycled fibres in clothing production, delivering a leading hand-me-down scheme to prolong the lifespan of the product, introduced roles for employees with diverse needs and supported profit share and growth share schemes (amongst many other initiatives), we were still implicit in encouraging consumerism, albeit whilst attempting to reduce our carbon footprint and offset our emissions.
The launch of Wonderful Escapes is an attempt to address the demand for luxury holidays, corporate bonding and sporting retreats, with minimal environmental impact. We offer 30 acres of stunning farmland and gardens which is managed using organic principles. Our properties are renovated using traditional methods, heated using air or ground source and furnished with carefully up-cycled eclectic pieces. Activities on the land are numerous yet simple, from wildflower species treasure hunts, to group games and sport, to tree planting or walking from the house to the top of the Skirrid with views over 7 counties in 30 minutes.
Our dedicated team and I are working to deliver farm to folk catering and encouraging low carbon travel, arriving by train to Abergavenny station just a few minutes drive away or re-charging your car on arrival. Luxury travel does not need to cost the earth.
After hearing Kate Rawlings speak at Hay Festival many years ago, I realised that I’d been in tune with the ethos of doughnut economics all my life.
#businesswithvalues #peopleandplanetaboveprofit #retreatcentre
