As life progresses we are finding there are fewer and fewer job opportunities in the countryside. This means our local towns and villages merely become commuter housing for people who work in the local big towns and cities. Or alternatively our local villages become areas devoid of young people and instead become populated by retired people. We have nothing against commuters living locally or retired people but for our local community to stay vibrant and have a real sustainable future you need young people, young families and the ability for young men and women to find work locally.

In our area there is really only ourselves, Morrison’s and the local Frozen Chip Factory providing employment opportunities in number. Our insurance organisation employs 130 local people, our College employs over 160 local people, our Estate support staff for administration, maintenance and gardening employs over 120 local people. Dependent on what new projects we have underway we will employ a further 140 local people as builders, decorators, electricians and plumbers. All in all we currently employ over 550 people. Over 85% of our work force live within a 15 mile radius of us. Many of our staff have been with us for years. We employ mothers and their daughters, fathers and their sons. Several of our staff met and married their partners whilst working at the Estate.

When people are negatively concerned with our steady growth over the years, they often forget just how many local people who live in their own area we provide the household income for. We are very mindful of how many local houses we keep going, how many local children our employment supports, how many meals it puts onto the table and how many shoes it puts on people’s feet.