The Boathouse Hotel
Hospitality with a Heart in Holyhead
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The newly-created Boathouse Hotel is the first social enterprise Eco-Hotel in North Wales with a social and environmental mission. Nestled in a dip on Newry Beach Promenade, the Boathouse Hotel boasts a perfect location on the Anglesey Coastal Path overlooking Holyhead Harbour, Holyhead Breakwater, the Irish Sea and the ferries sailing in all weathers. Furthermore, the hotel is situated within a recommended Star Gazing location due to the low light pollution and is minutes from stunning coastal walks, a SSSI, and the wild nature of Wales.
As a social enterprise, in addition to traditional tourism and hospitality, the Boathouse is committed to contributing to the local community and the environment. The organisational mission is to develop the hotel into a lively community hub that fosters community cohesion as well as provide tourists with an eco-choice for locally sourced food and beverages and comfortable accommodation. Since taking over management of the Boathouse Hotel in 2021, Wild Hospitality has cultivated a space of belonging, warmth and well-being for the local community and implemented a series of green initiatives to ensure the hotel is as environmentally friendly and sustainable as possible. The Boathouse has already attracted recognition for its innovation and social initiatives. Within the first year they were named as Finalists in the Social Business Awards Wales in 2022 in the ‘Ones to Watch’ category.
Wild Elements has been involved in Holyhead for a number of years, delivering outdoor education sessions to local schools, training programmes to adults, and allotment development, and wanted to further their community support, leading to the creation of Wild Hospitality and the Boathouse. Since taking over the Boathouse, they have initiated a number of community-based activities to foster belonging and well-being, to improve the quality of life for residents and visitors in Holyhead, and to promote community spirit, Welsh culture and equality and diversity.
In true community spirit, over the past year the Boathouse Hotel has supported local organisations and charities with fundraising and events, including 3D kids (an organisation for children with additional needs), Anglesey Foster Carer Association, Digartref Ltd, and Anglesey Writing Festival. Christmas 2022 saw them launch their 1st Community Christmas to provide a Christmas Celebration and support those who are homeless, lonely or socially isolated. The Boathouse is also dedicated to improving the lives and aspirations of the community and supporting staff members and volunteers in professional development - encouraged with eight staff members gaining qualifications that increase their job skills and employability.
In developing a social enterprise at the heart of the community, the Boathouse is aiming to pave the way for other hotels in North Wales, showing that there is a different way to do hospitality with a heart. The Boathouse is a not-for-profit hotel, with all profits going back into the community of Holyhead and its surroundings. In conserving the environment and fostering the local community, the Boathouse Hotel hopes to play a central role in Holyhead’s social, cultural and heritage life for many years to come.
Gwesty'r Boathouse sydd newydd ei greu yw'r fenter gymdeithasol gyntaf i greu Eco-westy yn y Gogledd sydd â chenhadaeth gymdeithasol ac amgylcheddol. Mae’n gorwedd mewn pant ar Bromenâd Traeth Newry, ac mae gan Westy'r Boathouse leoliad perffaith ar Lwybr Arfordirol Ynys Môn sy'n edrych dros Harbwr Caergybi, Morglawdd Caergybi, Môr Iwerddon a'r llongau fferi yn hwylio ym mhob tywydd. At hynny, mae'r gwesty wedi'i leoli mewn man sydd wedi’i argymell ar gyfer syllu ar y sêr am fod y llygredd golau yn fach ac mae'n funudau yn unig o deithiau cerdded trawiadol ar y glannau, SoDdGA a natur wyllt Cymru.
Fel menter gymdeithasol, yn ogystal â thwristiaeth a lletygarwch traddodiadol, mae'r Boathouse wedi ymrwymo i gyfrannu at y gymuned leol a'r amgylchedd. Cenhadaeth y sefydliad yw datblygu'r gwesty yn ganolbwynt cymunedol bywiog sy'n meithrin cydlynedd cymunedol yn ogystal â darparu eco-ddewis i dwristiaid o ran bwyd a diodydd o ffynonellau lleol a llety cyfforddus. Ers ymgymryd â rheolaeth Gwesty'r Boathouse yn 2021, mae Wild Hospitality wedi meithrin lle sy’n cynnig perthynas, cynhesrwydd a lles i'r gymuned leol ac wedi gweithredu cyfres o fentrau gwyrdd i sicrhau bod y gwesty mor eco-gyfeillgar a chynaliadwy â phosibl. Mae'r Boathouse eisoes wedi’i gydnabod am ei arloesi a'i fentrau cymdeithasol. O fewn y flwyddyn gyntaf cyrhaeddodd y criw rownd derfynol Gwobrau Busnes Cymdeithasol Cymru yn 2022 yn y categori 'Mentrau i'w Gwylio'.
Mae Wild Elements yn ymwneud â Chaergybi ers nifer o flynyddoedd, gan gyflwyno sesiynau addysg awyr agored i ysgolion lleol, rhaglenni hyfforddi i oedolion, a datblygu rhandiroedd, ac roedden nhw eisiau hybu eu cefnogaeth gymunedol, gan arwain at greu Wild Hospitality a'r Boathouse. Ers ymgymryd â’r Boathouse, maen nhw wedi cychwyn nifer o weithgareddau cymunedol i feithrin perthyn a lles, i wella ansawdd bywyd trigolion ac ymwelwyr yng Nghaergybi, ac i hybu ysbryd cymunedol, diwylliant Cymru a chydraddoldeb ac amrywiaeth.
Mewn ysbryd cymunedol go iawn, dros y flwyddyn ddiwethaf mae Gwesty'r Boathouse wedi helpu sefydliadau ac elusennau lleol gyda chodi arian a digwyddiadau, gan gynnwys plant 3D (sefydliad ar gyfer plant ag anghenion ychwanegol), Cymdeithas Gofalwyr Maeth Môn, Digartref Cyf, a Gŵyl Ysgrifennu Ynys Môn. Yn ystod Nadolig 2022, lansiwyd eu Nadolig Cymunedol cyntaf i greu Dathliad Nadolig a chefnogi'r rhai sy'n ddigartref, yn unig neu'n ynysig yn gymdeithasol. Mae'r Boathouse hefyd wedi ymroi i wella bywydau a dyheadau'r gymuned a helpu aelodau staff a gwirfoddolwyr mewn datblygu proffesiynol – a braf oedd gweld wyth aelod o’r staff yn ennill cymwysterau sy'n cynyddu eu sgiliau swydd a'u cyflogadwyedd.
Wrth ddatblygu menter gymdeithasol yng nghalon y gymuned, mae'r Boathouse yn anelu at baratoi'r ffordd ar gyfer gwestai eraill yn y Gogledd, gan ddangos bod ffordd wahanol o wneud lletygarwch gyda chalon. Mae'r Boathouse yn westy nid-er-elw, gyda'r holl elw'n mynd yn ôl i gymuned Caergybi a'r cyffiniau. Wrth warchod yr amgylchedd a meithrin y gymuned leol, mae Gwesty'r Boathouse yn gobeithio chwarae rhan ganolog ym mywyd cymdeithasol, diwylliannol a threftadaeth Caergybi am flynyddoedd lawer i ddod.