IT’S LLAMA TREKS A GO-GO!
BUSINESS IS BOOMING FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL TEEN - SEE PAGE 3
AM entrepreneurial teenager is expanding her llama trekking business after demand soared following lockdown.
Evie Ewing, 14, runs Louth Llama Trekking after the family bought several llamas to help maintain the grass on land they owned.
Earlier this year, she decided to offer people the chance to walk the llamas around her family’s nine acre field in Louth and is now expanding her empire following high demand for the experience. The King Edward VI Grammar School pupil manages the business and bookings around her schoolwork, visiting the llamas every day and only scheduling bookings during weekends and school holidays. After making £1,000 in July alone, the family is looking to expand the experience to open all-year round, as well as building an indoor area on-site.
Evie, from Louth, said: “I manage it all. We originally got llamas as an eco-lawnmower and to introduce llamas to kids because it’s a really good experience. “It’s been really popular. We’ve had people walk up and down the public footpath along the land and saying hi to them and it’s really nice to see everyone enjoying themselves.
“People have been travelling from as far as Manchester as well as from places in Lincolnshire such as Gainsborough, we’ve had a good response to it.
Her business is supported by her mum and dad, Stuart and Melanie, as well as brother, Charlie. Stuart said: “The business has really taken off. Evie took £1,000 in July alone from the llama trekking so we want to expand it.
“She had a lot of issues with bullying and was very down before she started doing this, and her business has made a massive difference.
“She handles everything from the walks, to the payments, to the social media, all while continuing her studies at school. “We’ve had a good response from Louth and Lincolnshire in general, it’s been really great. Everyone loves the llamas and are always coming down to have a look and say hello to them. We go at least once a day to check up on them and feed them, and even more so when we have bookings. Evie brushes them and gets them ready to meet their loving audience.
“We have shelters on-site for them, but llamas really like to stay outside as much as possible, they’re not too phased by the weather at all.”
The business currently has an application submitted to East Lindsey District Council to change the land use specifically for llama trekking, trekking which is also being used to add new buildings to allow the business to function all year round.
The plans include an office, toilet facilities as well as spaces to sell refreshments. A new outside picnic area, where customers can eat and drink while looking at the llamas, is also proposed under the plans.
There would also be living facilities upstairs in case any of the llamas were unwell and needed round the clock treatment. The indoor space would also allow them to have a room for education purposes.
Stuart added: “We put in the application and they told us to put any plans in that we would like at the same time and make the most of it.
“It would give us a chance to provide a llama experience to people even in bad weather where we can’t hold treks. It would allow us to work from November through to March, where we would otherwise have to close.”
You can contact Louth Llama Trekking at www.louthllamatrekking.co.uk/