Veronica Swindale, MD of nesma, caught up with David Cook about the new business he launched during the pandemic.
It’s called Northumberland 250, a destination and experience business that encourages you to embark on a memorable road trip across Northumberland’s vast and varied landscapes, whether that’s using your own car, bike or one of their adventure-ready Land Rover Defenders! When David completed the CIM Diploma in Professional Marketing (L6) with nesma this year, he accelerated his development and took his career to the next level. Never for one moment did he think it would give him the tools and confidence to nurture a new start-up alongside his day job in the sports travel sector.
Where did the idea for your business come from?
For as long as I can remember, I have been passionate about travel and exploring new places. Whatever country we were exploring, Ella (David’s partner) and I would spend hours and hours plotting the perfect route and seeking out the most scenic camp spots. Only a few years ago, we often overlooked our native Northumberland favouring The Lake District, or The Scottish Highlands and Islands. It was only after a stern word from Ella’s Grandpa, an impassioned Northumbrian, that we set out, maps in hand, to fully discover what lies on our doorstep. It soon dawned on us that Northumberland is an exceptional place indeed. After covering every inch of the County, we set about creating our own logical route to travel Northumberland where you can enjoy everything it has to offer along the way. After sharing the idea with others, the Northumberland 250 concept was born and began to grow.
Where do you get your inspiration?
Inspiration for conceptualising the road trip stemmed from experiences exploring other recognised routes around the World. The Cabot Trail in Canada, The NC500 in Scotland and the Icelandic Ring Road are all experiences that we felt were more about the journey than the destination, which helped us visualise how a Northumberland-based route may work.
With a busy day job too, what motivates you?
To spend as much time outdoors as possible! Since launching the business, I have found myself doing all sorts of things that go beyond sitting at a desk. Such as getting too close for comfort with Chillingham’s herd of Wild Cattle to being dive-bombed by arctic terns on the Farne Islands to lighting the Kipper smokehouses in Craster. It has been incredible to meet some of the remarkable people who live and work in the region and help make Northumberland such a special place to visit.
How do your market your business, and which tactics have been most successful?
The concept has spread organically on Instagram (@ nland250), and this platform has been a powerful tool for growing the idea. We’ve also developed excellent relationships with a range of North-East creatives, thinkers, and businesses with whom we work together on various projects. It’s great to have that network to bounce ideas off one another, leading to some great collaborative opportunities.
What is the customer feedback on their experiences so far?
So far, the response has been overwhelming. We have reached audiences in all corners of the globe, and everyone with whom we’ve spoken tell us how they can’t believe they’ve never considered visiting Northumberland before. Many visitors have fallen in love with the County and are already planning their return trip! Our latest guests to hire the Defender experience told us it was the best holiday they’ve ever had, that did put a smile on our faces!
What has been your most satisfying moment to date? With every Official Map purchase, we donate money towards the Kielderhead Wildwood Project, a mission to plant 39,000 trees across vast swathes of remote Northumberland. This Summer, we had the opportunity to visit the project site and hear the Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s vision for the area. For me, donating our first £500 to the project must be the most satisfying moment to date. The Wildwood team are doing some incredible work behind the scenes to protect our landscapes for generations to come, and we are proud to support and help raise awareness of this vital work.
