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Adam Eagle, marketing manager at Durham Wildlife Trust, John Atkinson, Business Link Business Adviser – Rural, farmer Joy Henderson with One North East’s RDPE senior specialist Kirsten Young
A third generation of farmers who recognised the potential to expand their business following years of sympathetic farming have opened an education and training centre in a bid to attract naturalists and eco-tourists from all over the country.
Carrs Farm, in Wolsingham, Durham, is a traditional beef farm rearing Aberdeen Angus cattle on an organic system and is located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) with a range of highly valued habitats and environments with birds sighted on the farm including oystercatchers, skylarks, barn owls and redshanks.
The Henderson family recognised the potential to expand the farming side of the business in recognition of the hard work and preservation carried out by their grandfather Alan Thompson, who took over Carrs Farm from his grandparents in 1936 until 2003 when his grand daughter Joy Henderson started running the family farm.
One North East’s Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) has approved just over £63,000 towards the education and training centre which is aimed at a wide range of youth groups, schools, colleges and other organisations with a focus on conservation, ecology and environmental issues.
The education centre is a converted, redundant traditional farm building boasting accommodation for 21 people with a communal living area/classroom with catering and washing facilities. By 2011 it is predicted that nine jobs will be created.
Joy said: “Our land boasts some of the finest hay meadows in England according to the AONB with marsh areas rich in flora and specially protected for breeding waders.
“There is an ancient woodland with a stream flowing through it that is rich in botanical interest. There are also several rare bird species that visit and nest on site so it seemed that our farm was an invaluable site for conservation and educational work and study and was an opportunity that we had to embrace.
“Opening this centre is a real achievement for the family as we would not have been able to achieve this if it hadn’t been for my grandfather Alan Thompson’s hard work and love of farming the land and preserving it for future generations to come.
“We have already received vast interest from people wishing to stay here with quite a few bookings and we have only just officially opened so we are very pleased and grateful for the RDPE grant to help us get this exciting project off the ground.”
The business has organic status and entered the Higher Level Environmental Stewardship Scheme through Natural England. Since then there has been growing interest from a wide range of organisations including the RSPB, The Prince’s Trust and schools about the fauna and flora on the site.
Adrian Sherwood, RDPE Manager at One North East, said: “The key to the RDPE programme is the focus on land-based rural business diversifying and generating wider benefits to the economy and local community.
“This project is an excellent example of that, creating employment on the farm, while allowing other local attractions to utilise the accommodation for visiting parties and generate more spend by visitors in the local area. The project is likely to attract new visitors to Weardale because of the exceptional nature of the environment.”
With limited catering facilities on site at the farm it is expected that existing commercial businesses in Weardale will also benefit from visitors staying at the centre.
Tony Laws, Area Manager for Natural England North East, added: “Recent research by Natural England shows that contact with nature has halved in a generation. Initiatives such as the creation of the new centre at Carrs Farm are a vital way of providing fresh opportunities for people to discover the beautiful landscapes and farmed environment of the North East.
“We must avoid raising a generation of ‘cotton wool’ kids whose experiences are defined by websites and computer games. Natural England’s ‘One Million Children Outdoors’ programme, is encouraging more children to visit places such as nature reserves and environmentally friendly farms, such as Carrs Farm.”
For further details about the ‘One Million Children Outdoors’ programme, including the educational access opportunities of Natural England’s Higher Level Stewardship scheme, click on www.naturalengland.org.uk
The Rural Development Programme for England 2007-2013 is jointly funded by Defra and the European Union, with the aim of delivering targeted support to rural businesses and communities. It is managed in North East England by One North East, Natural England and the Forestry Commission.
The RDPE investment being managed by One North East combines larger projects to help many businesses in different sectors of the rural economy - including bioenergy and land-based skills, and projects adding value to agricultural and forestry products - with smaller investments to help individual businesses to start-up, grow or diversify, and support to develop more sustainable rural communities.
RDPE Business Support is part of Solutions for Business, the Government’s package of publicly funded support products offering help to companies to start, grow and succeed. Solutions for Business makes it easier for businesses to get the advice and assistance that they need.
For further information on the full package of support, visit www.businesslink.gov.uk/northeast or Tel: 0845 600 9006. For more information on RDPE in North East England, visit: www.rdpenortheast.co.ukFor more information on RDPE, visit: http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/rurdev/index_en.htm or http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/rdpe/index.htm
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For more information, contact Alison Laggan (press office) on 0191 229 6613, mobile 07766 424400 or email alison.laggan@onenortheast.co.uk
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