How we've helped Cohort Hostel
Business overview
In 2011, husband & wife team Lee & Dan Strickland moved to Cornwall from London to run a guest house in St Ives. After three years, while looking for a larger B & B, they discovered the dilapidated St Ives Backpackers building was on the market.
Lee recalls:
Neither of us were classic B&B-ers, however we had both travelled extensively using hostels and so when the St Ives Backpackers came on the market (in 2015) it felt like a no-brainer; we had a real ‘a hostel! Why hadn’t we thought of this before?’ moment.
The Grade II listed former Methodist Church and school situated in the centre of St Ives was run down and in need of renovation. Lee and Dan proceeded to refurbish and modernise it into a chilled out, relaxed, stylish hostel.
Now, with a clutch of industry awards under their belts, they offer budget accommodation for all their guests include independent travellers, couples, school groups, wedding guests, surfers, walkers, and just about anyone who wants to experience St Ives without paying St Ives prices.
As a small business you don’t have anyone to bounce ideas off. The Growth Hub has given us the opportunity to talk though our business and to give us an objective idea of what we should be prioritising.
How we helped
Lee first got in touch in 2017 looking for support to help market the hostel to new travellers and European markets and extend the season.
They were pointed in the direction of Oxford Innovation for help with a marketing strategy and Department of Trade for help identifying target markets over the Channel.
This year Cohort got back in touch for a skills review to help with their expanding team and training for their seasonal staff and management.
The Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Growth Hub from May 2016 - June 2023 was part funded by the European Regional Development Fund and match funded by Cornwall Council, the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership. The project received £2,848,591.49 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.
The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Skills Hub from October 2017 - June 2023 was part funded by the European Social Fund and match funded by Cornwall Council and the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership. The project received £2,885,993 of funding from the European Social Fund as part of the 2014-2020 European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme in England.
| Business name | Cohort Hostel |
|---|---|
| Website | https://www.stayatcohort.co.uk/ |
| Contact number | 01736 791664 |
| Contact email | [email protected] |
