The National Trust's South West Blog

A few years ago, the National Trust started working in partnership with hotels and their guests to raise money for the conservation and management of nearby coastline.  The scheme was suggested by Keith Makepeace, owner of the Soar Mill Cove hotel in South Devon and has since been adopted by a number of hotels across Devon andCornwall.

Participating hotels add a voluntary donation of £1 to each guest’s bill at the end of their stay which is then passed on to the local National Trust countryside team who use the money to support their work.

Recently, we were delighted following a £1,400 gift from guests at the Pentire Hotel in Newquay.  Head Ranger for the area, Mike Simmonds, said, ‘We are really very grateful to the Pentire Hotel for all the money they have collected for us since we started the scheme. This latest donation will help us fund a number of projects in the local area. We are planning on undertaking some further footpath improvements near Polly Joke over the coming year as well as continuing the management of the wildflower conservation project atWest Pentire.’

Amanda Pleasants, hotel manager, said: ‘It’s great that we are able to support the Trust on such a local level. Knowing that our guests’ donations are helping to maintain some of the beaches and footpaths we all love to visit gives it special meaning.’

The Trust cares for 221 miles of the coastline inCornwallalone and basic management and conservation costs around £3,000 per mile of coastline per year.  Unlike the National Trust’s houses and gardens which can charge entry, there are limited sources of money to support open spaces, and so these donations are invaluable.

If you want to get involved  or find out more about the scheme, contact me here  caroline.danks@nationaltrust.org.uk