News
Farmers in Northumberland are laying the foundation for a successful future after diversifying their business even further creating jobs and a visitor attraction.
Detchant Farm in Belford is better known as the providers of Sunny Hill Eggs and boasted the region’s first dedicated free-range egg packing facility with help from One North East’s Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE).
With further farm diversification in their sights the Jackson family has since secured £200,000 through the RDPE Business and Community Assets Programme to create a new farm shop and restaurant.
Sunny Hill Farm Shop will incorporate a delicatessen, butcher’s counter and gift shop selling good quality seasonal and local produce. There will also be a coffee shop and restaurant and large children’s play area. Initially it is envisaged that 11 new jobs will be created with more to follow.
Christine Jackson, partner and manager at Sunny Hill said: “We carried out research which showed that there is a need for the services of this new farm shop.
“At the moment the nearest butcher’s shop means a car trip to either Bamburgh or Wooler so our shop will ensure local people have increased choice on their doorstep. At the same time people will travel to visit a farm shop so the aim is also to attract new business into the village in the hope that all existing businesses in Belford will benefit from these additional visitors.”
RDPE Manager at One North East, Adrian Sherwood, said: “It is always encouraging when a farm aims to protect and improve its future by diversifying. The farm shop will ensure new customers from nearby and further afield while also having a positive knock-on effect for other businesses in Belford as well as those who are supplying the shop.”
The RDPE Business and Community Assets programme is being delivered by Northumberland County Council through their Rural Projects Development Fund.
Andy Dean, Head of Regeneration at Northumberland County Council, said: “Developing business opportunities throughout Northumberland, especially in the rural areas, is an extremely important role for the County Council. I’m delighted that this project is being supported with funding through the Rural Development Programme enabling it to move forward from an initial proposal to actually being delivered.”
The Rural Development Programme for England 2007-2013 is jointly funded by Defra and the European Union, and 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 companies 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 call Tel: 0845 600 9006.
For more information on RDPE in North East England, visit: www.rdpenortheast.co.uk
For more information on RDPE, visit:
http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/rurdev/index_en.htm
http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/rdpe/index.htm
Ends.
For more information about the RDPE funding, contact Alison Laggan (press office) on 0191 229 6613 or email alison.laggan@onenortheast.co.uk.
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