Govt-funded course providing farm businesses with 'Help to Grow'
A 500-year-old Warrington-based farm that has been run by the same family for hundreds of years is undergoing a rebrand.
Kenyon Hall Farm, which has been in the family since the 15th century, was able to revamp its management structure after completing the government-funded management course, ‘Help to Grow’.
The farm is now set to welcome half a million annual visitors to its Cheshire farm this year.
It attracts people all year long with a range of activities and seasonal events such as: fruit picking; a Maize Maze; Junior Farmers Club; and a Pumpkin Festival.
It also boasts an award-winning farm shop, cafe and plant shop.
However, in order to maintain the success of Kenyon Hall Farm without crumbling under pressure, manager and owner James Bulmer felt he had no choice but to look at alternative solutions.
Help to Grow
Butler was directed toward the Help to Grow: Management Course in Salford University, where he learned how to manage a business.
The course, which is subsidised by the UK government, serves as a practical leadership training programme aimed towards leaders of small and medium-sized enterprises.
According to Bulmer, the course allowed him to appreciate the value in managerial systems and how experienced managers can make all the difference to the logistics of a business.
“The most valuable lesson from the course is the realisation that growth doesn't just mean growth in customers or size.
"It can be the growth of your systems, and of the foundations and structures in place that you need to run a business.
“I would say to someone in a family business: you can get support to help you to run your business.
"It doesn't have to be all on your shoulders. It's been life-changing to see what can happen as a result of this new way of thinking," he said.
Sustainable growth
Before welcoming thousands of visitors a day, Bulmer said Kenyon Hall Farm used to be a regular farm, until he returned 10 years ago to support his parents.
Since then, the farm has become a hotspot for all type of farm related activities.
It now has four different owners, including Bulmer.
As business began expanding ,the four managers found it hard to keep up and were working seven days a week.
Flora Hamilton, who is executive director of the Small Business Charter, which delivers the management course, explained the purpose of the Help to Grow course.
“Businesses that scale quickly can feel out of control without the right systems in place, and that’s exactly the gap that the Help to Grow: Management Course is designed to close," she said.
