Farming families in the Kirkby Stephen area are being given the chance to participate in a free innovative programme of one to one support and business workshops by joining the Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme.
The Prince’s Farm Resilience Programme was launched by HRH The Prince of Wales in July 2016 and over a five-year period will support up to 1,300 farm businesses. Kirkby Stephen is one of only 15 areas selected to host a group in the UK for 2018/19. The group is being managed by The Farmer Network and is currently recruiting participants for the group.
“The programme will bring together like-minded family enterprises in a local network where they can review their current activity and identify improvements and opportunities,” says Ruth Kendal, Project Manager at the Farmer Network. “The series of workshops and support will give farming families the tools to evaluate their viability and long-term sustainability and enable them to make informed business decisions on their future direction.”
Each member of the group will be able to complete a Business Health Check Tool, with the help of an advisor, which will look at their strengths and weaknesses and benchmark costs against similar farms. There will then be a series of seven workshops which focus on different business skills to maximise profitability and resilience. Topics include business planning, understanding accounts and budgeting and exploring new opportunities in farming.
The Kirkby Stephen Group workshops start on the 2nd January 2019. Meetings will take place on Wednesday evenings at the Nateby Inn, Kirkby Stephen.
Spaces on this group are limited and registration closes on the 10th December 2018. If you wish to join the group or want to hear more, please contact The Farmer Network on 01768 868615.
