UK’S BEST FARM ATTRACTIONS NAMED AT GALA CELEBRATION
Britain’s greatest farm-based attractions have been celebrated at the National Farm Attractions Network’s (NFAN) Awards Gala Dinner in Blackpool.
The National Farm Attractions Network (NFAN), which has almost 300 members, unites the farm and rural attractions industry, and its prestigious National Farm Attractions Network Awards celebrate the very best of the industry across the UK.
This year’s Awards took place Wednesday 29th January at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens, where they presented across nine categories by Scottish Comedian and Perthshire farmer, Jim Smith.
Barleylands Farm Park were award finalists for ‘Shining Star’ where our toddler group lead, Nicola Sibley came first and won! We then won ‘highly commended’ for our long-running family-friendly Halloween event ‘Spooky Nights’ in the category for Best Event.
Nicola’s popular toddler group has a long waiting list because of her amazing reputation of being a shining star! The toddler group is ran Monday – Friday every morning and is attended by 200 toddlers and parents. Nicola along with colleagues provide a fun activity, half an hour in our soft play, singing and story time, followed by a fun and interactive activity outside on the farm. Each morning every child receives a warm welcome and a beaming smile from Nicola and makes them feel at ease before the fun begins.
Barleylands family Halloween event provides a fun and safe environment for young children to enjoy spooky-themed activities and trick-or-treating. The Village at Barleylands remains open for the children to visit each shop with a spooky word and in return receive a variety of sweets and stickers. After trick-or-treating, the farm opens and customers can enjoy time of the farm park feeding animals, visiting the Halloween disco with Skittleman, unlimited free rides and lots more spooky-themed fun.
Thomas Philpot, Farm Park Director said “I am delighted the team at Barleylands have been recognised for all their hard work and commitment. Receiving two awards has topped off a fantastic year. I hope to continue Barleylands core values with help from the rest of the team providing a valued service for our local community.”
Tom Pearcy, NFAN Chair, said: “It is an absolute pleasure to celebrate the nation’s leading farm attractions. Our winners are leaders in their field and thoroughly deserving of this recognition.
“So much hard work goes into running a successful farm attraction and we are proud of the brilliance of all our members. These Awards once again demonstrate just how high the bar has been set in terms of this industry’s ability to deliver memorable experiences and high-quality service to visitors.”
The Awards Gala Dinner is the crowning celebration of NFAN’s annual three-day Conference and Trade Exhibition which brings the industry together to share ideas and best practice on everything from marketing to animal welfare and leadership, whilst providing a platform for industry-leading suppliers of products and services.
