A family farm which has been passed down through generations for more than 100 years has opened a new secure dog exercise field after receiving funding to help diversify its rural business.
We awarded Pipehill Farm £6,189 through the UK Shared Prosperity Rural Business Fund Programme 2025/26, supporting the family to turn part of the farm into a safe and secure space where local dog owners can exercise their pets off-lead.
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 dog 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 amenities. The design means visitors can drive into the field and close the entrance securely before letting their dogs out.
With the farm close to both established communities and new housing, the family saw an opportunity to diversify the business while providing a new facility for local dog owners.
Further planting is also planned across the site, helping to support biodiversity and create natural features and points of interest around the field.
Councillor Janice Silvester-Hall, Lichfield District Council’s Cabinet Member for Visitor Economy, Ecology & Climate Change said:
“Our rural businesses are a hugely important part of Lichfield District, 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.”
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.
“It has meant a lot to have support from Lichfield District Council, which has in turn given us the confidence to try this new venture.”
The UK Shared Prosperity Rural Business Fund supports capital projects which help rural businesses diversify, improve productivity and strengthen rural economies and communities.
The Pipehill Dog Field is now open, with further information and booking details available through the Pipehill Dog Field website.