Statement on behalf of Windermere Lake Cruises Limited

Firstly, we are mindful of the need to respect confidentiality in relation to employees and former employees, so are unwilling to comment on specific employment related matters.

Windermere Lake Cruises Limited operates 17 Class V passenger boats on Windermere and carries over 1 million passengers annually. Our larger vessels have a pre-recorded commentary system, but on our smaller vessels a live commentary is delivered by the Skipper. Reasonable parameters for these commentaries are specified by the company, which are kept under constant review and are communicated to our Skippers.

We are a sustainable passenger transport provider and these parameters are intended to ensure that our commentaries add to our customers’ enjoyment of the services we offer and do not cause upset or offence to those listening.

Following the receipt of complaints regarding the inclusion of reference to the Transatlantic Trade of Enslaved People in our commentaries, we decided to amend the reasonable parameters for our commentaries.

We are not an organisation responsible for providing education or historical interpretation of the area in which we operate and felt there was no compelling need to refer to the Transatlantic Trade of Enslaved People, given that this aspect of our commentary had been the source of complaints.

We carefully consider the content of our live and pre-recorded commentaries, as well as our guidebooks and marketing materials, and constantly strive to provide a positive visitor experience while respecting the diverse perspectives and sensitivities of our audience.