An adventure tourism business has warned it is struggling to survive due to soaring costs. Mynydd Sleddog Adventures offers dog-pulled sledding and other activities near Cerrigydrudion on the Conwy/Denbighshire border.
Joe and Mark Swiffen launched the business in 2020 and have since been impacted by the pandemic and then the cost of living crisis. Those hikes in costs are now weighing heavily on the venture with fears they could be forced to close.
The biggest increases have been in insurance and food costs, with 20 working Siberian Huskies to feed. Joe this week took to social media to explain how tough things were.
READ MORE: The cheapest and most expensive places in North Wales to buy a home in 2024
READ MORE: The UK’s ‘most spectacular’ Wetherspoon’s is in North Wales
She said: “I am writing this post out of sheer frustration and despair, following months of sleepless nights, tossing and turning with worry, constantly feeling sick in the pit of my stomach while trying to put on a brave face.”
She said people will often see positive posts about the work they do and the enjoyment they bring but that behind that was a real struggle to survive financially.
She said: “Sadly, despite all this positivity, the reality is Mynydd Sleddog Adventures is really struggling. If I am 100% honest, I am not convinced we will be around next summer.”
She added: “I’ve bust my guts, put my heart and soul into it, for the last five years and taken nothing financially from it, except a warm fuzzy feeling that I’ve done something good for my dogs and for other people. But warm fuzzy feelings aren’t sustainable and don’t pay the bills.
“Since opening in Jan 2020, we have been hit with continuous challenges and barriers. I won’t go into them all, because I wouldn’t want to bore you, but the pandemic put us in the negative before we’d even begun. I had to take out loans to get through and ‘bounce back’ the business, because we as a brand new business weren’t eligible for government financial support.
“Following the pandemic, the cost of living crisis hit many people where it hurts. For us there has been a huge increase in the cost of dog food from approx. £700 per month to £1300. This year our insurance premium went up from £1500 to £3,500 per year; an extra £200 per month for us to find.
“Our acccountancy fees are just about to go up as well. This is just the tip of the iceberg. The costs of maintaining and ensuring our rigs are safe is expensive, especially with many cycle companies closing down, parts are in short supply and more expensive.
“Unlike most other sleddog businesses (abroad), we do not rehome or PTS our dogs if they have health issues, are no longer fit to work, or are retiring. They stay with us; they are our extended family. We care for them and cover the cost of their ongoing medical needs until they cross rainbow bridge. As you can imagine providing veterinary care at the best of times is expensive in itself.”
This all saw them raise their prices but this has badly impacted bookings. She’s looked at other avenues like grants or becoming a social enterprise but has so far hit a brick wall.
She added: “It really feels like everything is stacked against us and I can no longer put on a brave face, this little business needs help to survive. I am hoping we can overcome the challenges with a little help from our friends and followers.”
She appealed for people to help support them.
She said: “If you like Mynydd Sleddog Adventures, I’m asking for your support to help us continue. Whether it’s booking an adventure (We really need bookings), sharing our posts; not only to your own sm profile, perhaps you’re a member of a group that you could share to. Display our flyers or put up a poster in your local area, write a review, donate to our GoFundMe page: https://gofund.me/5ff4599d or simply spread the word, every little bit helps us keep our doors open.”
North Wales Live has a WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone
This post was originally published on here
