PENNINGHAME HOUSE
“
We had a passion and a longing to do something that was good for people Ray Butler
”
Marie and Ray Butler, left, and, above, Penninghame House
been paying dividends in column inches. One of the course’s unique selling points, “food used as medicine”, has been featured in mainstream newspapers such as the Independent, the Daily Mail and the Daily Record. Also, Marie’s history in this area may have struck a chord with feature editors in Fleet Street. For 18 years she battled with eczema, using conventional medicine to no avail. It was only when she started changing what she was eating that the problem cleared up. Her knowledge of “food as medicine” was something that she took with her to the restaurants she later set up in Italy, England and her native country, Sweden.
All this added publicity has generated more enquiries and, crucially, there is potential for people who are initially interested in the health course coming back for many of the other courses on offer. The estate is also beginning to get calls
from people looking for just a break rather than education, and it tends to be people who already have had an experience with the Foundation. Although they are welcomed, the Events Director George Kerr stressed that the estate’s accommodation is not a hotel, nor will it ever be. “It’s great dealing with a set number of people over a week or so. But it becomes a little different when the business is just for accommodation. You would need more staff and you would have more people coming and going more frequently. We need to be conscious that this is, first and foremost, a family home and we are keen to keep the focus on what Ray and Marie are really passionate about.” However, Ray does have various plans for the place, such as more leisure facilities and upgrades and extensions to accommodation. And that’s on top of the constant maintenance work on such a stately home – akin to painting the
LANDBUSINESS ISSUE 36 JUNE-JULY 2010
Forth Road Bridge, Ray said: “As soon as you finish, it’s back to the start again.” To add to the estate’s sustainability credentials, he is considering installing a wood-chip boiler. Already, the house uses a ground-source heat pump and when it comes to vegetables to feed staff and visitors, a walled garden allows the venture to be self-sufficient for 70 per cent of the year. As the Foundation evolves, it will have the benefits of SRPBA membership to draw upon. It joined in April, “mainly as a way to network with other estates – to hear about what they are doing that could be of use to us and vice versa, as well as seeking advice when we need it,” Ray said. But really, the mechanics of how the
Foundation works is a means to an end for Ray and Marie. The day-to-day workings of the organisation are handled by a core staff of eight, which swells to as much as 16 when courses are running. The focus of the couple is on making a difference rather than turning a profit, although as time goes on, they are closing the gap between costs and income. As Ray pointed out: “It’s about giving people knowledge and insights to give them a better life.”
LB
For more information, visit
www.penninghame.org
37
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56