Responsible Travel Policy

Policy Aims

Saxon SUP Tours and Coaching is committed to providing a fun, educational and professional experience of the daily life of our Rivers and lakes.  We do this through Stand Up Paddle Boarding, which is the perfect way to get a up close and personal connection with the water, the wildlife that lives and depends on the river and lake and the people whose livelihoods revolve around the water. 

We also have a keen interest in British History and local folklore and it gives us great enjoyment in teaching our clients about the local historic structures such as hillforts and standing stones, and of the myths and legends of spirits and deities that ancient local people believed inhabited the water. 

Economic Responsibility

I am local to the area in which the guided SUP tours will be operating.

The campsites that we use are smaller, less well known and are owned by local farmers.

We will encourage the clients to use local cafes when making a lunch stop on the first section of the trip.

We will give the clients the option to use local pubs for dinner when camping.
We will inform the clients about other local attractions.  I volunteer for Longtown Mountain Rescue team which is local to the area and I will have a donations bucket with me, if the clients feel the need to tip, I will ask them to donate to the mountain rescue team instead.

Environmental Responsibility

We will not use any paper brochures; all information will be digital.

The required pre activity paperwork will be digital, unless a client specifically asks to complete it by writing.

We will use the recycling waste bins at the campsites.

There will be a zero-tolerance policy to any littering in the river or at the campsites.

We will educate the clients about the local wildlife and how to act when near to a particular animal or plant.

We will educate the clients about the devastation that is being caused to the River Wye and how we all need to pressure the local authorities and national government about this.

We will teach the clients about the national park and AONB that the river is situated in and how national parks need to be protected and preserved.

We will teach the clients about the surrounding Black Mountains and the Brecon Beacons.

We will encourage the clients to use reusable flasks for hydration rather than purchasing plastic water bottles.

We will buy items for client’s lunch from local farm shops.

We will encourage clients to visit the local national park and natural attractions. We will also teach clients about local projects, such as Red Kite feeding stations and encourage them to visit.

If clients decide to have dinner cooked at the campsite, we will cook a vegetarian/ vegan dinner.

I am connected to groups that practice local folk traditions and paganism. I am also a follower of Nordic Animism, so I try as best as I can to take a spiritual approach when working on the river and when respecting local wildlife.

Social Responsibility

As I have a keen interest in local history, paganism and folklore (Hence the name Saxon),  I will teach the clients about local traditions, such as wassails, solstices, folklore and important spiritual locations such as local springs, stone circles, long barrows and burial tombs.  If the clients would like to, we can visit an important local spring and Neolithic burial tomb.

If the trip coincides with a local pagan tradition, the clients are also welcome to watch and take part in a ceremony.

As mentioned above, we will use campsites owned by local farmers, we will encourage the clients to use local cafes during a lunch stop and we will give the option for the clients to have dinner at local pubs.