Staff at Lake District Estates are overjoyed after becoming the county’s first business to be shortlisted in three categories for the Cumbria tourist Awards 2023, generally considered as the ‘Oscars’ of the tourist sector.
The corporation behind the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway and Ullswater Steamers, as well as various camper sites, marina vacation flats, and stores trading as ‘Peter Rabbit and Friends®’, is a local family business.
In addition to being nominated for Large Visitor Attraction of the Year (Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway) and Self-Catering Accommodation of the Year (Waterbird Boathouse at Hill of Oaks, Windermere), star employee Ben McGregor has been nominated for The Sheila Hensman Unsung Hero Award.
The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, commonly known as La’al Ratty, is one of the world’s oldest and longest surviving narrow gauge railways. Meanwhile, the eccentric ‘Waterbird’ is a newly built luxury retreat at the Hill of Oaks lodge and trailer park on Windermere’s beach.
Ben McGregor, Lake District Estates’ Digital Marketing Coordinator, has only been with the company for two years, but he has already had a significant effect. Not only does the 21-year-old exhibit maturity well beyond his years as a great advocate for Cumbria, but he has also assisted the firm in innovating and embracing new technology, including recently learning how to operate drones.
Ben is also dedicated about promoting the mental health and well-being of young people and his coworkers. He served as a teenage activist for the Young Minds Foundation and raised cash by running the 2023 London Marathon. Ben works on the Being Well Together Programme with the British Safety Council and the Mates in Mind charity at Lake District Estates.
“We strive to deliver the very best experiences for our customers,” says David Little, Chief Executive of Lake District Estates, “so to receive these prestigious award nominations against a highly competitive field of world-class businesses is a real coup!” It’s an incredible testament to the hard work and devotion of the whole Lake District Estates family of businesses.
“I’d like to express how proud we are of Ben McGregor, who exemplifies not only a commitment and passion for showcasing the Lake District to the world, but also a positive ‘can do’ attitude to support others both in and out of the workplace.”
“We’re looking forward to hearing all of the final results later this summer.”
At the Cumbria Tourism Awards ceremony in July, Lake District Estates will find out if they are the overall winners in each category.
Jon is a regular contributor to several outdoor living and lifestyle news publications, concentrating on The Lake District. Now living in Glenridding, Jon studied journalism at Edinburgh University.
