Allergy Friendly Environment

A safe haven for sufferers

In 2012, Cotswold Conference Centre completed a £3.5m bedroom courtyard of 32 bedrooms, of which eight are designated “Allergy Free”. No smoking, pot plants or pets are permitted. Wooden floors replace carpet, there are blinds instead of curtains and a special vacuum cleaner gives 99.9% filtration and helps eradicate dust mites.

As a result of these and other measures, in October 2011 we were awarded the prestigious Ecarf Seal of Quality for allergy friendliness. Indoor allergies are a growing medical concern and we are delighted to have become the first conference centre in Europe to win this international award.

In the dining room, our staff competently deal with a growing number of allergies: dairy, gluten, peanut, nuts – even celery. In the bedrooms, delegates allergic to perfume can request fragrance-free toiletries.

“I am very pleased that the Cotswold Conference Centre has done such a fine job of taking the needs of allergy sufferers into consideration. This fills a gap since, especially at conferences, it is necessary for participants to perform at the highest level,” says Professor Torsten Zuberbier, Head of the European Centre for Allergy Research Foundation.

“Conferences can be a headache for allergy sufferers, who are confined to meeting rooms and bedrooms with little chance to escape. Allergy at work and at school leads to lower levels of concentration and achievement. We want to find affordable ways to make people’s lives easier.”

Our Ecarf accreditation is an acknowledgement of a raft of measures to combat the problem, for instance:

* All our bedrooms are non-smoking and have been passed as “allergy-friendly”

* Eight allergy-free bedrooms take this to a new level, with wooden floors, special cleaning equipment, reduced soft furnishings and a ban on pets and pot plants

* Kitchen staff are trained to deal with all manner of food allergies

* Soya milk and dairy alternatives are kept in stock

* Most diets can be accommodated with a few days’ notice

Cotswold Conference Centre’s operations manager Richard Howdle has noticed a significant increase in allergic customers in the past 10 years. “We have many different reactions to deal with these days,” he says. “If you have lactose intolerance, we will offer you a lactose-free coffee to help you concentrate on your conference or training.

“If anyone comes to us with an allergy, we do our best to make their stay just as comfortable as at home.”

One in Four

One in four people in the UK now suffers from an allergy.

“The body of scientific evidence shows us that allergies are getting worse,” says Professor Zuberbier. “ECARF takes a pragmatic approach, we do not want to put allergy sufferers into a sterile box, but offer support for a better life. Over-insulated buildings can make things worse. It always helps to be able to open a window.”

“We are delighted to give this award to Cotswold Conference Centre, the first dedicated conference venue in the world to earn the ECARF Seal.”