Dartmoor Reach Alpaca and Glamping Farm is a retreat based in Dartmoor that offers alternative camping facilities, including sustainable glamping huts and a converted double-decker bus.  

The owners, husband-and-wife duo Josh and Natalie Hyson, have made a commitment towards sustainability from the start of their business as they utilise compostable toilets and upcycled materials for building their glamping facilities. This is further evidenced by how they won the Eco Friendly Business of the Year award from the 2023 Devon Women in Business Awards.  

However, the two owners were constantly looking to improve their processes, as their biggest sources of carbon emissions were diesel-powered heavy machinery used for farming, as well as the use of electricity, water, and mileage for employee vehicles. 

Co-owner Josh Hyson found out about the Decarbonise Your Small Business programme through word of mouth when he asked a friend about business grants that were available in the area. Dartmoor Reach received a carbon footprint & SME recommendations report from us, which they used to apply for the grant. As a result, they received a substantial amount of funding to install solar panels on their farm, covering 50% of the costs. They have also taken smaller measures such as replacing all their bulbs with LED.   

How have you found the process of receiving support through the programme?  

“The support has been great,” Josh Hyson said. “Netshift and BIPC Devon have made the process so simple and accessible to all. They were there to hold your hand from start to finish, beginning with seminars explaining about how to decarbonise your business to help with filling out the council application forms.” 

What steps will you take in the future to continue decreasing your carbon emissions?  

“We will apply again for the decarbonisation grant when it reopens and hope to install an EV charger. My wife will also apply for better insulation in her on-site yoga studio as separate businesses on the same site can apply.” 

You can visit their website here: https://dartmoorreach.com/  

If you would like to find out more about how to decarbonise your small business, get in touch with BIPC Devon now to find out how we can help!