We’re back and with 2020 firmly behind us, the team at Yurts for Life HQ have made a pact to catapult into 2021 with an abundance of positivity! We have also decided that we will be in touch with our clients, suppliers and amazing fans much more often this year, after mainly battening down the hatches for most of 2020!
We have been reading a lot of articles and industry opinion about holiday trends for 2021, and it appears that many UK holidaymakers will be staying put and looking for a staycation in good old Blighty! That is great news for our industry, and we will be sharing lots of great client stories over the next few months over on our social channels (details are at the bottom of our post).
For our first post, we felt a ‘reintroduction’ to the people behind Yurts for Life was a great place to start. There is so much to share about the company and our phenomenal team, which you may or may not know, so here goes.
Head Honcho – Sacha Macey
Yurts for Life literally came to life once Sacha took the helm. At the point of closing down, Sacha took over in 2014 with just five employees, saving those jobs. From a standing start in 2014, the company now employs 14 full-time, 4 regular part-time team members and a team of seasonal staff who manage the hire business.
So, who is this extraordinary entrepreneur? Well, Sacha has enjoyed an eclectic career in different sectors, which has equipped her perfectly for the challenge she embraced in 2014. Prior to her civilian career, which we will cover shortly, Sacha served as an Officer in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers for 4 years after completing a year at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. We think that may have come as a bit of a surprise and you will want to know more?
The experience Sacha gained during her military career has enabled her to adapt both strategically and tactically into different roles and sectors over the years. These range from hospitality to investment banking, from airport operations to polar exploration, from property development to recruitment and HR services.
Sacha’s vision for Yurts for Life is huge, so we say watch this space!
When not growing her business, Sacha enjoys the wonderful surroundings that Devon and Cornwall have to offer. Active and sporty with tennis being a firm favourite. And if you have a dog to walk, Sacha will happily oblige! She can be regularly found borrowing her friends’ furry friends and is waiting for the right time to welcome a pooch into the Yurts for Life family.
Where is Yurts for Life 2021?
‘The difference between success and failure is a great team’ (Unknown). Since we were last in touch, the business has grown and evolved, which has resulted in 3 teams working closely together every day. We thought that we would share an insight into how operations work and who’s who in our Dream Team.
Yurts for Life HQ
- Cath is our sales manager and will be the first point of call for most of our clients, helping them realise their Yurt dreams and specialising in bespoke designs.
- Tom is our in-house product designer and CAD guru! Tom graduated from Plymouth University with a 1st class degree last summer and joined the team in September 2020.
- Mark heads up our hire business logistics and also assists the wood and canvas teams with installations and product development.
- Sacha is covering operations until we welcome a new member of staff due to join in the Spring. Sacha also leads on finance, HR, marketing and strategy. Always keen to keep her skills fresh, Sacha manages any client maintenance jobs, Yurt re-covers and refurbishments.
Wood workshop (where the magic happens)
Here our experts make the yurt frames, doors, framed windows, floors, porches and curved furniture interiors and mezzanine adaptations.
- Dan is our wood workshop manager, keeping everyone on track to deliver our Yurts on time, to quality, for our clients.
- Graham remains the longest serving member of the wood workshop team. As well as having a huge input on new product design and testing, Graham keeps all the machines on the road and is our chief problem solver!
- Luke is coming to the end of his apprenticeship this month where 2 years of hard work will culminate in designing and making our latest new product to add to the range, the opening window. His skills and confidence have come on 10-fold and we are very proud of what he has achieved and how far he has come along.
- Merlin has been part of the team on and off through school work experience and holiday work, since Easter 2019. Since finishing school, he started his apprenticeship with us in October 2020 and is a valued member of the team.
- Tim is our Yurt frame expert (trellis walls, roof ribs and wheels) and is passing his knowledge on to Merlin, before he embarks on door and window carpentry this year.
- Rob joined the team in September last year to bolster the joinery side of the business. He is also training us in finishing, a skill he has perfected from previous roles for high-end clients such as Rolex and Princess Yachts.
Canvas Workshop (where more magic happens)
The Canvas Workshop is where we make the canvas covers, porch covers, groundsheets and extra options such as PVC and mosquito net windows, canvas doors, vents and chimney flue collar installations. Each cover is test-fitted before the yurt leaves the workshop, so we know it has been checked in terms of quality for our clients. Let’s introduce you to the team:
- Medjit is our canvas workshop manager who juggles the ever-growing list of canvas work that comes through the door.
- Pam loves sewing, like really loves sewing. Pair this with her love of camping and the outdoors and we have the perfect Yurt canvas cover maker on our team!
- Monika with a diploma in dressmaking and an eye for perfection, Monika is the perfect person to make our dreamy canvas covers for our Yurts!
Yurt Hire and Installations
- Maz is a Cornish born guy who loves Yurts! As part of the hire and installation team, Maz brings his great personality to every build!
- Andy the Yorkshireman is always there to lend a helping hand when it comes to Yurts. A reliable and relaxed member of the team keeping everyone together especially when traffic or bad weather hits a job.
- Keith is one of our most experienced Yurtologists. A lynch-pin of our hire team, he helps with installing Yurts and problem-solving.
- The Seasonaires the Summer seasonal staff support us year after year, with our stalwarts who keep up standards, coupled with our student team who dive in between semesters.
Yurt Quality, on Time!
Each of our Yurts is made by hand, with a passion and quality that keeps our clients happy. Locally sourced products such as the Ash hardwood are used to make our Yurts and we source many local products whenever we can. Production methods used are those that limit the harmful impact on the environment and we will always look for ways to improve further.
We love the outdoors and we love our Yurts. There is so much to gain from the fresh air and natural environment, but we say, why not have a little luxury on the way? We hope that you have enjoyed reading about Yurts for Life in 2021! We have enjoyed sharing some team news and we feel so inspired for our next post, please stay tuned next month to find out!
Thank you for reading our first post of 2021, and having learned a little more about us, why not get in touch and chat with our team about creating your own little piece of Yurt heaven? Or if you already have one of our Yurts, we would love to share any pictures you have and how you are enjoying Yurt life.
Email – hello@yurtsforlife.com
Phone – 01803 762370
