Lancashire glamping site pitches up with financial support from Rosebud Finance
The Secret Garden Glamping, an award-winning glamping site in Skelmersdale, Lancashire, is set to continue its rapid expansion after receiving a £250,000 business loan from Lancashire County Council’s Rosebud Finance.
The Secret Garden began as a project during the first coronavirus lockdown. Founder, Derry Green, built a single glamping pod for his children to enjoy, sharing his construction journey on Facebook. After the glamping pod caught the attention of UniLAD and LADbible, the story went viral across social media.
Noticing a gap in the market for unique glamping holidays, Green decided to commercialise his idea, creating a bespoke glamping experience. Within 24 hours of listing the pod on Airbnb, The Secret Garden was fully booked for two years.
Given strong demand for the first pod, Green secured planning permission and built an additional seven pods across a four acre woodland site. In order to cater to the ever-growing waiting list, which currently stands at over 50,000, Green has grown his team to 14 over the last two years.
Since its launch, the business has amassed a social media following of over 600,000, making it the second most followed holiday site in the country. It has also hosted several popular TV shows, including Celebs Go Dating and Married at First Sight, as well as a recent collaboration with FatFace.
Having become the most booked glamping site in the UK, Green was introduced to Rosebud by Cassim Patel at Access to Finance (A2F). The business loan will be used to complete the businesses current site, having secured planning permission for an additional five pods to meet continued strong demand.
With the consolidation of the Skelmersdale site, Green is now looking to expand to another site within the local area, helping to drive the area’s tourist economy.
Derry Green, founder and owner of The Secret Garden Glamping, said:
“It’s hard to believe that a small project for my kids during lockdown has grown into the business it is today. The rapid growth of our site has been incredibly exciting to see, not only creating unique holidays for people to enjoy, but also bringing significant levels of tourism into Skelmersdale and the surrounding area to help uplift the whole community.
“The process with Jonathan and Rosebud was incredibly straight forward. Before speaking with him, I wasn’t even sure external finance was the right option for us. However, after speaking with Jonathan, the process couldn’t have been simpler. I felt completely informed and supported throughout, ultimately leading to us getting the financing we needed to help scale the business and expand.”
Jonathan Nelson, fund manager at Rosebud, said:
“The rapid growth of The Secret Garden Glamping has been incredible to see, growing from one pod to a globally recognised attraction. The site has also been able to put Skelmersdale, an area not typically known for tourism, on the world stage and boost the local economy.
“With no signs of slowing down, the next few years promise to be just as exciting for the business, with the consolidation of its current site as well as grand plans for a new site. I wish Derry and the team the best of luck on what is sure to be an incredibly successful future.”
Councillor Aidy Riggott, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Growth at Lancashire County Council, said:
“It is extraordinary stories like that of The Secret Garden that show the true creativity and innovation the Lancashire business community holds. Given this, the important role Rosebud plays in driving forward start-up activity can’t be understated. The fund not only supports these entrepreneurs, but also drives job creation and wider economic growth across our region, putting Lancashire on the map as the ideal place to start a business.”
