BEx

About:

Bowland Experience Limited (Bex) is a commercial subsidiary of the charity, Champion Bowland and provides a long term framework for supporting and promoting the tourism businesses of the Forest of Bowland National Landscape area. The company's directors are local tourism operators: Jon Beavan (Dalesbridge Centre), Edwina Miller (Cobble Hey Farm and Gardens), Barrie Tyrer (B.P. Tyrer Web Design), Mike Pugh and Margaret Wright (Cobden Farm).

Address:

The Old Post Office

Main Street

Clapham

LA2 8DP

United Kingdom

Tel:

01200 448000

Email:

info@bowlandexperience.com

Website:

http://www.bowlandexperience.com

Activities

Dark Skies Workshops

During March we organised two workshops, attended by 20 Bowland Experience businesses – 'Star Tips for Profit', helping tourism businesses to gear up to provide an unforgettable dark sky experience for customers. The workshops, held at Wyreside Lakes Fishery and Stirk House Hotel, were delivered by local astronomer Robert Ince who has also helped the Northumberland International Dark Sky Park develop their offering and was the resident astronomer at the Scottish Dark Sky Observatory for its early phases. Working with Robert, the Forest of Bowland is currently applying for Dark Sky Discovery Site status for a number of sites across the National Landscape, so visitors can view the skies at their best! Visit http://forestofbowland.com/Star-Gazing

17th April 2015 to 17th April 2016

Discover Bowland Guide 2015, published and launched 11th Feb at Gibbon Bridge, supported by BEx businesses
Gisburn Forest Bike Trails leaflet reprinted - March 2015 - supported by BEx businesses & Forestry Commission
Bowland by Bike reprinted - March 2015

17th April 2015

Bowland Experience Bulletin

BEx members were consulted at the AGM in November 14 to their preferred method of communicating. It was agreed that the National Landscape Sustainable Tourism Officer would distribute the BEx business bulletin every 2 weeks. It would include concise info, with links to further info and circulate and members news.

1st January 2015

Annual Report 2014-15

Annual Report for the financial year 2014-15 produced and available on the National Landscape website.

1st April 2014 to 31st March 2015

Bowland Hay Time

The Bowland Hay Time project has restored 35 ha of meadows during 2014 & 2015. This has been possible through partnership working with the N4N project, LEF, the Coronation Meadows project, NE and YDMT. We used green hay and brush harvested seed, as well as plug planting on several sites.

In 2016 we restored 20 ha with a further 11ha in 2017, all using green hay, brush harvested and vacuumed seed. Sites included SSSIs (New Ings and Tarnbrook) in need of seed addition.

In 2018 a further 3 meadows of feild scale restoration were completed through Bowland Haytime

1st April 2014 to 31st March 2018

Bowland Anniversary Awards

Delivery of the Bowland Anniversary Awards, designed to recognise the dedication and enthusiasm of some of the many landowners, businesses, community groups and individuals who help to make the Forest of Bowland such a special place. Winners chosen in seven categories, reflecting the breadth of work which takes place in the National Landscape. Nominations invited, shortlisted entries judged and winners announced at a special gala event towards the end of the anniversary year. Sponsors of the event included: Green Tourism, United Utilities, Countryscape, Grosvenor Estates, Duchy of Lancaster, Lord of Bowland, Life for a Life Memorial Forests and Lancashire Best Kept Village Competition.

10th February 2014 to 1st November 2014

2.2 Local Economy and Rural Services
Action		Targets and Timescales	Partners
2.2A	Play an active role in Local Enterprise Partnerships' developing rural agendas e.g. rural growth and development programmes	Invite LEP Chair and Board Members to visit National Landscape 2014 BEx/Sustainable Tourism Forum members nominated for proposed RDPE/LEADER Local Action Group(s) covering the National Landscape 2015	AONB Unit BEx BLMF	View
2.2C	Continue to support Bowland Experience Ltd	Provide business-to-business support, advice, training and networking for 100 tourism operators and businesses in and around the National Landscape 2019 Develop and maintain 5 'good practice' web resources for businesses via BEx website 2019	BEx AONB Unit	View
2.2D	To support and encourage businesses to be 'Sustainable Tourism Partners' in the National Landscape	Establish criteria for 'Sustainable Tourism Partners' 2014 Develop a mentoring system to be offered by 'sustainable tourism partners' to support new businesses. 2016	Sustainable Tourism Forum AONB Unit BEx	View

2.4 Sustainable Tourism
Action		Targets and Timescales	Partners
2.4A	Develop resources and a series of training sessions to enable businesses to develop bespoke visitor experiences from their door e.g. rainy day guides, car free itineraries, access opportunities	Support 40 businesses through workshops and one-to-one sessions 2019	BEx AONB Unit Tourism businesses Marketing Lancashire Welcome to Yorkshire Local authority tourism partners	View
2.4B	Investigate new ways for tourism businesses to network that complement face-to-face networking opportunities	Hold meeting with tourism businesses to discuss improved networking 2014 Implement new networking practices agreed 2014 Review networking arrangements and make changes where necessary Annually	BEx AONB Unit	View
2.4C	Continue to offer and further develop the Sense of Place training and familiarisation visits for businesses	Update the digital toolkit 2015 Deliver 5 training courses and familiarisation visits 1 per year Support 25 businesses 2019	AONB Unit BEx	View
2.4F	Identify and promote opportunities based on seasonal activities to help encourage year-round (or 'off-peak') tourism - e.g. seasonal routes/trails, seasonal produce, bird-watching, fishing, geo-tourism and dark skies)	Workshop held to highlight the opportunities for year-round tourism. 2016	AONB Unit BEx Tourism businesses Marketing Lancashire Welcome to Yorkshire Local authority tourism partners	View
2.4G	Continue to support the development of business clusters in the provision and marketing of 'tourism packages' e.g. Bowland wildlife website and Gisburn Forest Bike trails	Develop 2 business cluster projects 2019	AONB Unit BEx Marketing Lancashire Welcome to Yorkshire Local authority tourism partners	View
2.4K	Continue to work with tourism operators and businesses to develop car-free activities and walks from the businesses e.g. business-specific downloadable route maps	Develop 2 business-specific downloadable route maps per year Annually	AONB Unit BEx Tourism businesses	View

2.3 Community Engagement
Action		Targets and Timescales	Partners
2.3K	Raise awareness of the National Landscape's 50th Anniversary (2014) by encouraging partners, communities and businesses to celebrate and link with the anniversary year	Organise fund-raising events and activities to raise £5,000 for Champion Bowland 2014 Involve tourism businesses and communities in delivery of at least 3 anniversary events/activities 2014	Champion Bowland AONB Partnership BEx Tourism businesses	View

3.3 Visitor Management
Action		Targets and Timescales	Partners
3.3C	Investigate the potential to link 'honeypot' site projects with 'visitor-giving' schemes	Countryside Site Managers involved in development of Champion Bowland visitor-giving schemes 2014	Countryside Site Managers AONB Unit BEx Champion Bowland LCC E&C Projects	View

3.4 Information and Publicity
Action		Targets and Timescales	Partners
3.4E	Engage with public transport operating companies to develop ticketing promotions and publicity e.g. rail links to the National Landscape (Manchester Victoria - Clitheroe and Leeds - Morecambe lines)	Meeting held with Northern Rail and/or relevant community rail partnerships 2015	AONB Unit Northern Rail BEx Community Rail Partnerships	View

3.5 Branding and Identity
Action		Targets and Timescales	Partners
3.5G	Raise awareness of public transport amongst tourism operators and businesses and tourist information staff	Disseminate up to date public transport information annually Annually	AONB Unit Sustainable Tourism Forum BEx TIC Staff	View

3.6 Audience Development
Action		Targets and Timescales	Partners
3.6E	Support the development of arts and culture based projects and events, using local artists and craftspeople wherever possible, to raise awareness and promote understanding of the Bowland landscape	Support 5 arts and culture based projects 2019	AONB Unit LCC Arts Development Local artists & craftspeople BEx	View

4.2 Funding
Action		Targets and Timescales	Partners
4.2A	Implement recommendations of the National Landscape Fundraising Strategy (2013) to manage Partnership budgets effectively and help attract external funding from a range of sources into the future	Implement strategy recommendations 2019	AONB Unit AONB PFG BEx Champion Bowland	View
4.2D	Engage with Local Enterprise Partnerships and RDPE/LEADER Local Action Groups (LAGs), aiming to secure government and EU funding and to help ensure integrated rural development project delivery within the National Landscape	Engage as key partner in the development of LAGs and Local Development Strategies for RDPE/LEADER affecting the National Landscape 2014 Nominate representation from within the National Landscape on LAGs 2015	AONB Unit BLMF BEx	View

BEx

BEx

Activities

Dark Skies Workshops

Publications

Bowland Experience Bulletin

Annual Report 2014-15

Bowland Hay Time

Bowland Anniversary Awards

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