Doggie Hotel Opens Its Doors To Paying Guests
18 years ago
3101 views
Posted
1st June, 2006 00h00
A South Gloucestershire farming family, who shifted production from diary farming in 2004 to concentrate on beef cattle, have diversified their business further, into the dog boarding kennel business, thanks to support from a Rural Enterprise Scheme grant, administered by the Rural Development Service (RDS).
Cattle are fed from crops grown on John and Sue Shepherd's farm at Iron Acton, near Bristol. There was also some spare land to develop, as well as the enormous energy available from daughter Claire, who has just finished her two years studies at Hartpury College. There she was awarded an overall distinction for her National Diploma in Animal Management. It is proposed that Claire will manage the Kennels, assisted by John and Sue on a part time basis.
"I've always worked with animals and I love the outdoor life", said farmer John Shepherd, "so we decided that boarding kennels would mean extra income, while at the same time utilise spare land and converting a redundant farm building".
The 16 kennels each have a minimum space of 7.5m(3) and the Shepherds have also made provision for a large exercise area, 75m x 35m, which is fenced all round and can be used as a facility for off-lead exercise. This means that there is plenty of space for dogs to run round with the added advantage that it is situated away from the actual kennels so remaining dogs left behind won't feel left out.
The new facility, known as Elm Farm Kennels, is able to offer day boarding facilties for clients who are too busy to exercise their dogs during their busy working week. Basic dog grooming is also available in the new well equipped grooming room.
Allison Wallis, an adviser for the Rural Development Service in the South West, said:
"Utilising the exisiting farm resources alongside Claire's qualifications presented an excellent diversification opportunity for the farm. The project had been well thought through and its location, being close to Bristol and Bath, means that dog owners will not have to travel far to leave their pets in a rural setting with space to exercise."
There will be an OPEN WEEKEND for potential doggie guests on Saturday and Sunday June 3 & 4 at Elm Farm, Iron Acton, Bristol, BS37 9TF from 10.30 am - 12.30 pm on Saturday and 2.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m. on Sunday.
The Rural Enterprise Scheme is closing to new applications on 30 June 2006. Knowledge of this has generated a great deal of interest and subsequently a significant increase in applications.
The scheme has been very popular and successful across the country. The announcement of the closure of these schemes has led to a large increase in the number of applications, all of which are seeking funding from a limited budget. The Rural Development Service has been advising that, as the Scheme comes to a close, a substantial amount of funding is now fully committed and competition for the remaining funds is very, very strong.
The schemes have always been competitive. The large number of applications and the coming closure of these schemes inevitably mean some projects cannot be funded.
The Rural Development Service is working to make the best use of funds under the Project Based Schemes of the England Rural Development Programme - to ensure that as much of the money allocated to this programme is spent. The Rural Development Service is continuing to review the funding situation across these schemes and will let applicants know if there are any changes as soon as they can.
The 30 June deadline does not apply to Objective 1 and LEADER+ funding; neither does it apply to Environmental Stewardship (Entry Level and Higher Level Schemes); nor does it relate to the Energy Crops Scheme Establishment Grants, the Hill Farm Allowance, or the English Woodland Grant Scheme.
More from
2 hours ago 