A FAMILY farm which has been passed down through generations for more than 100 years diversified its business thanks to a £6,100 funding award.
Lichfield District Council has given Pipehill Farm the cash via the UK Shared Prosperity Rural Business Fund Programme 2025-26, supporting efforts to create a dog walking field.
The funding has helped the family purchase the materials and equipment needed to transform part of the farm into a safe and secure space where local owners can exercise their pets off-lead.
Located on Lichfield Road at Pipehill, the new facility includes six-foot-high dog fencing, a secure vehicle access gate, signage and other amenities.
Andrew Hulme, from Pipehill Farm, said:
"We are a small family farm and have found the current volatility that traditional farming is facing has meant that to remain viable we have needed to find other revenue streams to secure the future of our farm.
"Having the opportunity to receive financial help via the UK Shared Prosperity Rural Business Fund has allowed us to convert a diversification idea into reality."
Further planting is also planned across the site, helping to support biodiversity and create natural features and points of interest around the field.
Cllr Janice Silvester-Hall, Lichfield District Council’s cabinet member for visitor economy, ecology and climate change, said:
"Our rural businesses are hugely important, and we’re really pleased to have been able to support Pipehill Farm to bring this idea to life.
"This is exactly the kind of project this funding is designed to support – helping a long-standing rural business diversify, invest in its future and create something that also benefits the surrounding community.
"Pipehill Farm has been part of the area for more than a century, and it’s fantastic to see the family continuing to develop the business and find new opportunities for the future."
Lichfield Live has been keeping local communities informed for almost two decades – but we can only continue reporting with your support.
