Wedding venue set for post-lockdown success

A family-run wedding and events venue is getting ready to spring back into action after lockdown with the help of a £150,000 loan.

Dewsall Court, located five miles south of Hereford, is set in 12 acres of grounds and offers accommodation for up to 27 guests, with a 17th century house, its own church and a ‘party-barn’ conversion.

The coronavirus outbreak has meant that all of the venue’s bookings between March and August have been postponed, putting pressure on its cashflow.

However, it has now secured a £150,000 loan through the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) and a six-month capital repayment holiday on existing lending from banking partner Lloyds Bank.

The support will help Dewsall Court continue to meet its existing commitments over the course of the outbreak while allowing it to take bookings for future weddings and events to ensure the business can quickly resume operations as soon as it is safe to do so.

Samantha Vaughan, owner of Dewsall Court, said: “The coronavirus outbreak has naturally had a big impact on our day-to-day operations.

“Our customers have been amazing and every single one has so far chosen to postpone their booking rather than cancel, but the situation has still affected our immediate cash flow.

“Lloyds Bank’s support has given us valuable headroom and ultimately means we’ll be able to hit the ground running once conditions improve. We’re now taking new bookings for future dates and since the lockdown have already taken new four new ones for 2021.”

Daniel Cherry, relationship manager at Lloyds Bank, said: “The hospitality sector is one that’s been hit particularly hard by coronavirus, with closures cutting off vital revenue streams. Dewsall Court is no exception and has faced significant disruption to its planned events.

“Despite all this, Samantha and the team have their eyes firmly fixed on the future and are working incredibly hard to ensure they can kick-start the business as soon as possible.”