*UPDATE 29th May - Now that travel is starting to open up again, this weekend will be the first time we are back in normal operation for over a year, and we can't wait to get back in full swing. Keeping everything crossed that with the vaccine roll-out going so well that there are not too many more nasty surprises to come and we have at least a full summer of sausage silliness. Thank you to everyone who has supported us through this difficult year - it has of course left us in significant debt but we can now (hopefully) begin the slow process of working our way back again. I will be leaving this fundraiser active as I know many of our followers check back from time to time and donate what they can, and we still very much need the support - Phil
*UPDATE 24th Feb - With the government announcements this week, there is definitely some light at the end of the tunnel, and with the vaccine rollout going so well now, we should hopefully be back in full swing by the summer. Whilst we continue to be under incredible financial pressure, we are doing everything we can to survive and be ready to welcome all our guests back soon.
Many of the messages received in the last couple of days have asked if we still have our fundraising support options open, and the answer is very much yes, and, as always, any help is very much appreciated
*UPDATE 12th JAN - As most of you will know, the UK is now back in a strict lockdown, so whilst we may have some occasional guests for specific things like house moves, illness, or day-care for key workers, it looks like the next couple of months will continue to be a huge struggle for our business. However, now that the vaccine roll-out is well under way there is hope that perhaps by the Spring/early summer things like holidays will have a chance of happening again, which will return us to normal operation, and we want to make sure we are around for that happy time. As always, we greatly appreciate any help you can offer to help with our expenses during this challenging time. Thank you - Phil.
CHRISTMAS COVID UPDATE - Well here we are just a few days from Christmas, a time when we are always at full capacity, and only a week ago were looking all set to be once again. But then, as I am sure you have all seen on the news, COVID had other plans, with a newly discovered variant spreading faster than ever, causing the government to order an emergency lockdown in many areas of the UK, including ours. Almost everyone has now had their plans changed at the last minute, and for us as a business, the timing literally could not have been worse - if it had happened earlier, those cancelled plans would have enabled others on the waiting list who live in unaffected areas to use those spaces and head off on their holidays, and if it had happened just a few days later, everyone would already be where they were heading for, including the sausages being all checked in with us for their holidays. We do still have a handful of Christmas guests already with us, but these next few weeks were supposed to be our return to normality with a full hotel, for the first time since the brief period we enjoyed in the summer, and as a result of these developments and the uncertainty ahead into the first few months of 2021, we are under more financial strain than ever before. Of course, there is cause for hope, with the vaccinations having already begun and millions more on the way and all signs are that by the Spring things will look much more positive for life in general, and the possibility of holiday travel returning as an option. Our booking calendar from around Easter onwards is at even higher levels than a normal year, and almost the entire summer is fully booked. So we simply must still be here and operational then so we can welcome all our guests and enable their families to finally get their holidays on the other side of all this, after in some cases, multiple postponements and cancellations.
Since the new restrictions this past weekend, many of you have reached out to me directly to ask how you can help, so I have put together this fund-raiser where all donations will go directly towards our operating costs to get us through the next few months. As always, we truly appreciate your support in these continuing challenging times...
Happy Christmas from all of us here at Sausage Dog Hotel, and let's look forward to a much, much better 2021!
*UPDATE 24th Feb - With the government announcements this week, there is definitely some light at the end of the tunnel, and with the vaccine rollout going so well now, we should hopefully be back in full swing by the summer. Whilst we continue to be under incredible financial pressure, we are doing everything we can to survive and be ready to welcome all our guests back soon.
Many of the messages received in the last couple of days have asked if we still have our fundraising support options open, and the answer is very much yes, and, as always, any help is very much appreciated
*UPDATE 12th JAN - As most of you will know, the UK is now back in a strict lockdown, so whilst we may have some occasional guests for specific things like house moves, illness, or day-care for key workers, it looks like the next couple of months will continue to be a huge struggle for our business. However, now that the vaccine roll-out is well under way there is hope that perhaps by the Spring/early summer things like holidays will have a chance of happening again, which will return us to normal operation, and we want to make sure we are around for that happy time. As always, we greatly appreciate any help you can offer to help with our expenses during this challenging time. Thank you - Phil.
CHRISTMAS COVID UPDATE - Well here we are just a few days from Christmas, a time when we are always at full capacity, and only a week ago were looking all set to be once again. But then, as I am sure you have all seen on the news, COVID had other plans, with a newly discovered variant spreading faster than ever, causing the government to order an emergency lockdown in many areas of the UK, including ours. Almost everyone has now had their plans changed at the last minute, and for us as a business, the timing literally could not have been worse - if it had happened earlier, those cancelled plans would have enabled others on the waiting list who live in unaffected areas to use those spaces and head off on their holidays, and if it had happened just a few days later, everyone would already be where they were heading for, including the sausages being all checked in with us for their holidays. We do still have a handful of Christmas guests already with us, but these next few weeks were supposed to be our return to normality with a full hotel, for the first time since the brief period we enjoyed in the summer, and as a result of these developments and the uncertainty ahead into the first few months of 2021, we are under more financial strain than ever before. Of course, there is cause for hope, with the vaccinations having already begun and millions more on the way and all signs are that by the Spring things will look much more positive for life in general, and the possibility of holiday travel returning as an option. Our booking calendar from around Easter onwards is at even higher levels than a normal year, and almost the entire summer is fully booked. So we simply must still be here and operational then so we can welcome all our guests and enable their families to finally get their holidays on the other side of all this, after in some cases, multiple postponements and cancellations.
Since the new restrictions this past weekend, many of you have reached out to me directly to ask how you can help, so I have put together this fund-raiser where all donations will go directly towards our operating costs to get us through the next few months. As always, we truly appreciate your support in these continuing challenging times...
Happy Christmas from all of us here at Sausage Dog Hotel, and let's look forward to a much, much better 2021!