Blog
Calling all Spanish Campers for the Olympics
Hi all,
do we have any Spanish campers coming to London for the Olympics who would be happy to speak to the Spanish paper Marca? If so, please let me know - looking forward to hearing from you
Vicky
BBC Click
A nice little review for campinmygarden.com on bbc click (2:20 mins in):http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/click_online/9737624.stm
Dutch Campers for the Olympics?
Hi All,
Well, it's been an incredibly busy start to the year, and we've been flat out trying to get the site ready for the Olympics. Now that the great weather's arrived we've had a surge in interest in the website, and some happy campers already this year!
We promise to blog a lot more in the next few days and weeks, but right now we need some help! We've been contacted by a Dutch News station who are interested in interviewing any Dutch folk in our community who will be camping in a London garden for the olympics. If you fit the bill, and would be happy to tell your story we'd be so glad to hear from you - please contact me on vicky@campinmygarden.com
Thanks so much,
Vicky
I’m loving the sharing, borrowing and mending revolution!
Until last week, I didn’t know that there was a name for businesses such as Campinmygarden.com, whose main purpose is to facilitate the sharing and borrowing of space, items and services which are not being fully utilised. The name is collaborative consumption. I also didn’t realise quite how many businesses are emerging in this field until I attended an inspiring conference hosted by NESTA in London yesterday. If you want to read more about this subject I would strongly recommend taking a look at http://collaborativeconsumption.com/
It is so uplifting to see something so positive coming out of the negative financial depression that has so evidently affected the majority of households. It appears that it is has really focussed our minds to find ways to live life with less waste, making the most of our assets and appreciating the simple things in life once again.
I personally think it is a very healthy and rewarding way to live. I now gain satisfaction from utilising everything I have and actually enjoy looking after and repairing rather than replacing things in the way I used to in the not so distant past.
Below are my top picks of other collaborative consumer based websites that you might enjoy;
Parkatmyhouse.com – A great website allowing you to rent your drive space. http://www.parkatmyhouse.com/
BlaBlacar.com – If you commute regularly or are planning a one off journey you can share the cost of fuel and reduce carbon emissions. http://www.blablacar.com/
Sharemystorage.com – If you have any spare space in a garage, a shed, a spare room, a loft etc you could get an income for renting it out as a storage facility. http://sharemystorage.com/
Swishing.co.uk – why not swap clothes with other members of this online fashion community if you’re bored of your old wardrobe? http://swishing.co.uk/
Mytaskangel.co.uk – A brilliant website that matches your tasks to a service provider in your local area who can carry out that task for you. It’s completely free to post a task and the service providers will reply with bids. The modern day bob-a-job. http://mytaskangel.co.uk/
Foodhost.co.uk - Want to live out your very own “come down with me” experience? You can now with a website that is encouraging local communities to get to know their neighbours through dinner parties. http://foodhost.co.uk/
Rentmyitems.co.uk – Basically you can rent out or borrow anything and everything from other members of your local community through this website from a lawnmower to a bike. http://www.rentmyitems.com/
Landshare.net. is a community based website matching people with some spare land to people who would like a space to grow their own produce. The community is now 55,000 strong and growing. http://www.landshare.net/
There is also an excellent series on channel 4 at the moment called SuperScrimpers which discusses other ways to live efficiently in a “waste not want not” manner; http://www.channel4.com/programmes/superscrimpers-waste-not-want-not. It was very exciting to see Campinmygarden.com mentioned on the programme last Wednesday as a way to make some additional money from your home.
Enjoy!
Vicky (Founder of Campinmygarden.com)
17th March 2012
Campinmygarden.com tipped for 2012 travel trend
There are high hopes for Campinmygarden.com as it is predicted to be the travel trend for 2012 by the World Travel Market, as reported in its Global Trends Report 2011, released on Monday 7 November 2011:
The World Travel Market (WTM) is a UK event aimed at the global travel industry. Almost 46,000 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and representatives of the international media, converge each year in London to attend. A spokesman for the WTM stated that "garden camping is a fascinating trend and one that the traditional travel and tourism industry should keep a close eye on as it has the potential to really take off for major sporting events and all holidays" praising the homeowners who are turning their gardens into campsites for providing "some of the most ingenious accommodation options available".
Campinmygarden.com is helping to establish the trend by taking advantage of the renaissance of camping in the UK, fuelled by greater interest in sustainability and cheaper accommodation due to the faltering global economic recovery and uncertain economic environment in the UK. Campsites were the fastest growing alternative accommodation category in the UK in 2011, with additional growth expected for 2012. The WTM recognise that "this is a fascinating trend and one that the traditional travel and tourism industry should keep a close eye on as it has the potential to really take off for other major sporting events and all holidays."
Although I would not want Campinmygarden.com to be seen as predominantly London based, clearly the Olympics 2012 is a great opportunity for people to experience the enjoyment and benefits of garden camping first hand, whilst lifting our profile across the UK and globally through promoting the concept during this high profile event. London hotels are reportedly charging up to five times the amount of money they would normally charge for 27 July - 12 August, when the games take place next summer, so there is an obvious opportunity for garden owners of London to fill the gap with affordable accommodation. Euromonitor International Head of Travel and Tourism Research Caroline Bremner commented on the benefits of Campinmygarden.com for the 2012 Olympics saying that "the rent-a-garden concept not only provides a cheaper alternative to hotels benefiting both cash-strapped homeowners and visitors on a tight budget, but it also allows visitors to experience the "real" London during the 2012 Olympic Games."
There will also, no doubt, be London home owners who will be keen to escape the city during the Olympics and so there is an equally exciting opportunity to promote the quieter, rural gardens at the same time.
It is a great privelege to the Campinmygarden.com community to have been acknowledged in this report and I am sure that it will give many of us great motivation to prove the WTM correct in its prediction.
So, bring on 2012 and let's spread the Campinmygarden.com word far and wide!
