Cumbria Rural Small Building Grants Case Study: Llama Karma Kafe

Background to business and property

Mary and Graham Walker have been running Lakeland Llama Treks in Cumbria near Penrith for more than three years in addition to a specialist education and therapy centre, Lords House Farm, a registered charity in Lancashire which they established 18 years ago.

Llama Trekking clients were so enamoured with the delightful llamas that there were many requests for a Visitor Centre, as they wanted to learn more about the animals and have the opportunity to visit them again. It was a business opportunity the couple decided to explore. They were looking to expand their fascinating and unique business and relocate to Cumbria.

“We listened to our clients and we could see a gap in the market. There was a perfect opportunity to develop an innovative and niche tourist attraction.”
Mary Walker.

An old single storey wooden building which was run as a transport café but closed more than 15 years ago, with basic accommodation and acre of land came up for sale at The Beacon Site on the A66.
Situated less than a mile away from Center Parcs, where they had already recently acquired a part time contract to offer llama treks to holiday makers on site, and ideally placed on the main road network for the North Lakes and Penrith, Mary and Graham saw the potential to develop the site into a Visitor Centre and tea rooms to compliment the Llama Trekking.

Contact with CREA

Mary began researching grants available to help develop the site on the internet. She downloaded a Cumbria Rural Small Buildings Scheme Project application form, and originally applied for a 25 per cent grant for the reconstruction of the old redundant building into the café and visitor centre. When CREA Adviser Cath Gibbons visited the site she realised that the building was not eligible as the original building was being completely demolished and it was a new build.

She advised the couple to reapply for the grant for the creation of a kitchen, staff room, and office in the redundant bungalow on site that had been empty for some time. Graham and Mary made the application for 25 per cent of the cost of this project as the new build would serve the business with facilities.

The total grant allocated was £21,000 and has enabled the project to go ahead this year.

Impact of the RSB Grant

The objectives of Mary and Graham’s plans were:

• To create work space and new job opportunities for at least seven people
• To develop a visitor centre, café and evening Mexican bistro
• To re-use a redundant building to create staff room, office and kitchen to support the business
• To provide opportunities for disabled and disadvantaged people to experience the therapeutic and enjoyable benefits of interacting with animals.

“We were in the process of buying the land speculatively when we applied for the grant in July 2007. By August 2007 we had bought the land and we put the project out to tender, finally agreeing the contract with local builders, Neilsens Ltd of Greystoke, with the build ready to begin once planning permission had been obtained.

The local planners were very supportive and helpful and keen to see the old eyesore site turned into something that visitors travelling along the A66 on the way into Penrith would find appealing and inviting.
Getting the grant has been essential to the cash flow of the project, as we have had to take out considerable financial commitments to enable the project to get started.” Mary Walker.

Upon completion, the outdoor areas will link to the existing work offered by the Charity in Lancashire that Mary is Chief Executive of, providing a range of therapeutic animal based activities and educational opportunities for disabled and disadvantaged adults and children in the area.

In addition to the café….Llama Karma Kafe….the site will provide a takeaway section from 8am in the morning (The deli-Llama) for passing motorists providing refreshments on the go and an ice cream parlour alongside in the tea gardens. Local produce, fruit vegetables and plants will also be available for sale to help support the local economy.

Next steps

Mary and Graham are planning to open the café area as a Mexican bistro in the evenings, with licensed bar. This evening business expansion has the capacity to double the number of new jobs created by the development.

The project will create a minimum of six full time jobs and the sky’s the limit for the future as the new venture will support both the local and tourist market in the area.

The Visitor Centre and Café are due to open in September 2008.