30/09/2026
I am always on the lookout to collaborate (no matter how subtle) because it's fabulous to create connection in this increasingly isolating world. With this in mind, we have something going on inside our Lancaster property, The Joseph Cosy. How? Well I'll tell you...
One thing I’ve always believed about responsible hospitality is that a guest stay shouldn’t exist in isolation from the place around it.
So I’ve finally set up our little Lancaster discovery rack at The Joseph Cosy, filled with cards and leaflets from independent businesses, makers, creatives, and organisations from across the city.
When somebody stays with us, I’d like some of the money and attention that their visit brings to travel beyond our front door and into the wider Lancaster community.
So rather than guests relying entirely on the businesses that appear at the top of the usual online searches, they can browse the stand and perhaps discover a bookshop, somewhere independent to eat, a theatre production, a workshop, a local maker, a handmade gift, or something focused on wellbeing.
We already have a lovely mixture, including:
Bent Spines (an independent bookstore which specialises in new works by LGBTQIA+ authors, works that tell q***r stories and celebrate q***r lives)
Pure Vegan (absolutely awesome vegan cafe)
Proper Lovely Shop (retail collective of local handcrafted gifts)
The Dukes, Lancaster (brilliant cinema and theatre destination)
Amy Gunawan Willow Weaving (creative willow craft courses)
Anthony Hemmings (BACP registered local counsellor)
Reclaim Your Flame with Lucy (facilitator of warm, intentional spaces where women can reconnect with themselves and feel empowered in their lives)
Sitting above the discovery rack is a print of the Ashton Memorial by award-winning Lancaster artist Lidia Ranns of Lidia Ranns Art.
Diverse Nation endorses Lidia’s work as neurodivergent-friendly artwork, so it feels especially appropriate to have one of her Lancaster pieces overlooking a collection designed to help our guests discover more of the city.
For me, this is also part of what being a Good Business Charter accredited business should look like in practice.
The Charter gives businesses a framework for responsible behaviour across the way we treat our employees, customers, suppliers, communities, and the environment. For Diverse Nation, I want that responsibility to show up in the small operational decisions too, it's not simply as a badge on our website!
Can a guest have a better experience because we’ve introduced them to something they might otherwise have missed?
Can our accommodation help an independent Lancaster business gain another customer?
Can hospitality create value for the neighbourhood around it, rather than simply taking bookings within it?
If you’re a Lancaster business, maker, or organisation and you think your card or leaflet would genuinely be useful to guests staying at The Joseph Cosy, do give me a shout. Let's collaborate!
