We're still collecting donations
On the 17th June 2020 we'd raised £5,210 with 70 supporters in 28 days. But as every pound matters, we're continuing to collect donations from supporters.
Iles Tours - Bouncing back from COVID-19
Project by Alexander Iles
Total raised £5,280
raised so far73
supportersThe global pandemic has had a massive impact on our business and we need your help to look after our future and to bounce back!
New stretch target
Any additional funding above our target will help Iles Tours to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic better positioned to provide tours that people never forget. For example, this would allow us to attend national and international tourism trade events that will build connections worldwide and promote the region further afield.
What is Iles Tours?
Iles Tours is a UK tour company that brings amazing places to life with unforgettable walking tours. At least, that’s the short version. In 2013 Alexander Iles set Iles Tours up in 2013 because of a love of North East England and a desire to help people discover it.
Every year Iles Tours brings the North East to life for hundreds of visitors, locals and corporate groups who join our tours. In December 2019 Visit Britain sent out an email to the tourism industry stating: 'Forecasts from VisitBritain, the national tourism agency, indicate that 2020 is set to be a record year for inbound tourism to the UK.' As you can understand, I was very excited about this and prepared accordingly, but of course, that did not happen!
The Global COVID-19 pandemic has touched every industry in Britain and affected every single one of us. Since the lockdown started Iles Tours has gone into action, refunding customers and reassuring travellers of our commitment to maintaining safety. COVID-19 will affect the whole of 2020 and tourism will not return to normal this year. As a small business, this has impacted Iles Tours and put the company's long term survival into question.
How can you help?
Thankfully Crowdfunder has started the 'pay it forward campaign'. With this campaign, you are able to donate to the business now, with the promise that you can redeem one of our rewards at a future date. For Iles Tours, this will be once lockdown has been relaxed and we are allowed to deliver tours in line with social distancing measures. We are already talking to both the NewcastleGateshead Initiative and Visit Britain as to the best practice to protect our customers and our guides.
We have a number of rewards for backers from short one-hour tours through to half-day and full-day offers, that allows you to discover and learn (or Larn if you're a Geordie) about the North East of England and see it as you have never seen it before. Our Crowdfunding exclusive offers are discounted from our usual prices and most have a unique add-on so each reward is something particularly special. You are helping Iles Tours and we want to say a massive thank you for your help and support!
After this is over we want to return stronger, with a commitment to providing the best tours and activities in the safest and most enjoyable way. Our love for this region has not diminished in lockdown, only grown stronger! When this is over we want to grow and continue to bring people into our region, build our business and show the North East to the world. We are asking you to back this Crowdfunder now so that this vision can continue to grow.
Please support our vision to show this region to the world, share our campaign with friends and give what you feel you are able to during this time.
Thank you and stay safe and well,
Alexander Iles.
We ask project owners to honour their rewards wherever possible but please note that all pledges are donations and there is no guarantee that you will receive any rewards from the project owner. Please see Crowdfunder's Terms of Use for more information regarding rewards for pledges.
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This project offered rewards
£20 or more
£20 - Our Classic Two-Hour Tours!
If you pledge £20 today, you will be entitled to one of our highly popular tours, either the two-hour historical walking tour of Newcastle or Durham - allowing you to be captivated by the stories of our region that so many have enjoyed before. As a bonus, we will include a special-edition Iles Tours postcard, featuring one of the many beautiful sites captured here in the North East of England.
£5 or more
£5 - An Iles Tours Thank-you!
By pledging £5.00 you are saying that you are happy to help us at this time and to see us through this pandemic. You will receive a thank-you letter for supporting Iles Tours for this contribution.
£10 or more
£10 - Iles Tours One-Hour Walking Tour
By backing us with £10.00 you are now entitled to a one-hour tour with Iles Tours! You can choose between our Old Newcastle or the Quayside Tour. We are really looking forward to showing you around and we are very grateful that you have chosen to help us during this difficult time.
£30 or more
£30 - An Educational Workshop for your School
During lockdown, Iles Tours has branched out into virtual online learning! For a donation of £30, we pledge to provide a one-hour online tutorial for a single class of students on British history for a school of your choice.
£50 or more
£50 - Private Group Tour (up to four people)
A private walking tour for up to four people on our two-hour historical walking tour of either Newcastle-upon-Tyne or Durham. This reward is great for small family groups or friends who want to share a special outdoor experience together after lockdown has ended.
£60 or more
£60 - Half Day Tour of Newcastle or Durham
At a pledge of £60, you will be able to enjoy a four-hour walking tour of Newcastle-upon-Tyne or Durham which will include entry to Newcastle's Castle or Durham Cathedral's Open Treasures as a part of the tour. As a bonus, you will receive a set of exclusive Iles Tours postcards with iconic images of either Newcastle or Durham, depending upon which half-day tour you do.
£85 or more
£85 - Premium Half-Day Tours
If you pledge £85, we will take you on either our Half-Day Tour of Hadrian's Wall or Roman and Anglo-Saxon Tyneside Tour. We also will include our exclusive set of Iles Tours postcards with images of local iconic sites and an A3 poster of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Durham or Hadrian's Wall. A true gift for someone who loves the North East of England!
£100 or more
£100 - Private Group Tour (up to ten people)
A private walking tour for up to ten people on our two-hour historical walking tour of Newcastle-upon-Tyne or Durham. This reward is great for families, friends or small business outings after lockdown looking to enjoy time together.
£200 or more
£200 - Private Half-Day Tour (up to five people)
Enjoy our half-day tour of Newcastle or Durham in a small private group tour. This is perfect for people wanting to share a special experience with friends or family following lockdown involving the outdoors and discovering North East treasures. You can experience a thousand years of history inside Newcastle's Castle or soak in the atmosphere of the medieval city of Durham, including its world-famous UNESCO world heritage site: Durham Cathedral.
£200 or more
NewcastleGateshead Partners Exclusive Reward No.1
Exclusive to NGI Partners, I am offering a bespoke 2-hour guided tour of Newcastle or Durham. This will be available to corporate groups of up to eight people, booked for a time that suits your schedule. I can design content that is tailor-made to your group, for example, focusing on local history, engineering, medicine or arts and culture - or another topic more specific to your group. I would be happy to design something that suits you.
£375 or more
NewcastleGateshead Partners Exclusive Reward No.2
Exclusive to NGI Partners, I am offering a bespoke Half Day guided tour of the North East. This will be available to corporate groups of up to eight people, booked for a time that suits your schedule. This will include entry into one site or lunch as a part of the tour. The content that is tailor-made to your group, for example, focusing on local history, engineering, medicine or arts and culture - or another topic more specific to your group.
£500 or more
£500 - Hadrian's Wall Day Tour (up to five people)
Discover the Roman frontier with up to five people on your own private tour of this fantastic UNESCO world heritage site. This is one of our best experiences, with breathtaking scenery, telling of in-depth history along the wall and exceptional local food provided at lunchtime from Twice Brewed Inn. As a bonus, this pledge will include a set of exclusive Iles Tours postcards and an A3 poster of Hadrian's Wall.