NFAN – PRESS RELEASE
1 February 2019
NFAN Annual Awards winners announced at conference
The winners of this year’s best farm and rural attractions were announced at the National Farm Attractions Network (NFAN) annual conference and awards ceremony at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange on 30th January. NFAN is the trade association for the farm attractions sector with over 250 members.
During the three-day annual conference attended by over 200 farm park owners and operators, delegates visited Edinburgh Zoo and East Links Family Park in Dunbar. Delegates heard from a range of speakers and met with industry suppliers in the trade exhibition.
The NFAN annual awards, the Farm Attraction ‘Oscars’, were held at a glittering dinner hosted by Scottish Radio and TV presenter Arlene Stuart. The Winner of the Large Farm Attraction of the Year (over 75,000 visitors pa) sponsored by Marsh & Co and AXA XL Insurance was Puxton Park, Somerset. The winner of the small Farm Attraction of the Year (under 75,000 visitors pa) sponsored by David Taylor Design went to Pink Pig Farm in North Lincolnshire.
Other winners on the night were White Post Farm, Nottinghamshire which won both the Best Digital Presence sponsored by Vennersys and the Innovation award sponsored by Marsh & Co. Rand Farm Park in Lincolnshire won Best in Education sponsored by Jumping Pillows, and Odds Farm Park in Buckinghamshire won the best Food & Beverage award sponsored by Booker Wholesale. Colin King from 4-Kingdoms Adventure Farm won the Day Maker customer service award sponsored by PlayScheme. The best trade supplier award went to Timberplay for the second year running.
Richard Powell, NFAN chairman said, “Over 20 million visits a year are made to UK farm attractions and the annual awards celebrate the best farm parks in the UK. I’d like to congratulate all the winners and highly commended finalists.”
The full list of finalists and details about the NFAN Annual Conference and Trade Exhibition can be found on the NFAN website www.farmattractions.net.
ENDS
Editor’s Notes:
NFAN AWARDS 2019 – Full list of sponsors and recipients:
Jim Keetch Farm Attraction of the Year Award (Over 75,000 visitors)
Sponsored by Marsh & Co and AXA XL insurance
Winner – Puxton Park, Somerset
Highly Commended – Fishers Adventure Farm Park, West Sussex
Finalists – Finkley Down Farm, Hampshire; Williams Den, East Yorkshire; Rand Farm Park, Lincolnshire
Jim Keetch Farm Attraction of the Year Award (Under 75,000 visitors)
Sponsored by David Taylor Designs
Winner – Pink Pig Farm, Isle of Wight
Highly Commended – Wynford Farm, Aberdeenshire
Finalists – Cantref Adventure Farm, Brecon
Innovation Award
Sponsored by Marsh & Co Insurance
Winner – White Post Farm, Nottinghamshire
Highly Commended – Odds Farm Park, Buckinghamshire
Finalists – Longdown Activity Farm, Southampton; Marsh Farm, Essex
Best Trade Supplier
Sponsored by NFAN
Winner – Timberplay, South Yorkshire
Highly Commended – Teddy Mountain, Devon
Finalists – Agility Marketing, Hertfordshire; Outdoor Play People, Cornwall
Best Food and Beverage Award
Sponsored by Booker Wholesale
Winner – Odds Farm Park, Buckinghamshire
Highly Commended – Cantref Adventure Farm, Brecon
Finalists: Cannon Hall Farm, Barnsley; Cotswold Farm Park, Gloucestershire; Pink Pig Farm, North Lincolnshire
Best in Education
Sponsored by Jumping Pillows
Winner – Rand Farm Park, Lincolnshire
Highly Commended – Tatton Hall Farm, Cheshire
Finalists – Hall Hill Farm, Durham; Park Hall The Countryside Experience, Shropshire
Best Digital Presence
Sponsored by Vennersys
Winner – White Post Farm, Nottinghamshire
Highly Commended – Fishers Adventure Farm Park, West Sussex.
Finalists – Avon Valley Adventure & Wildlife Park, Bristol; Mead Open Farm, Bedfordshire;
Odds Farm Park, Buckinghamshire,
Day Maker Award
Sponsored by Playscheme
Winner – Colin King, 4 Kingdoms, Berkshire
Highly Commended – Andrew Garthwaite, Adventure Valley, Durham
Finalists – Scott Boyd, 4 Kingdoms, Berkshire; Alex Chettur, Marsh Farm, Essex; Chloe Miles, Mead Open Farm, Bedfordshire; Ceri Russell-Wilson, The Big Sheep, Devon; Dawn Peters, Whitehouse Farm Centre, Northumberland; Jeanette O’Neil, Willows Activity Farm, Hertfordshire.
NFAN would also like to thank the following conference sponsors…
Conference Gold Sponsors: S. Gregory & Co, Marsh & Co, Davies & Co
Awards Dinner Main Sponsor: Lorica Insurance
Awards Dinner Wine Sponsor: Timberplay
Drinks Reception Sponsors: Innovative Leisure, DigiTickets
Pre-Conference Networking dinner sponsor: miniportworld
Open Day Sponsors: Agility Marketing, Boyd Insurance
About NFAN
Uniting the Farm Attraction Industry, The National Farm Attraction Network (NFAN) has over 250 Members and is the only independent co-operative for farm and rural attractions. Encouraging best practice and knowledge sharing, NFAN proactively updates members on the latest HSE advice, represents the farm attraction industry at government meetings, runs events including the annual conference and awards, and provides ongoing support and guidance to members.
NFAN began in 1996 through the vision of Jim Keetch, a Farm Park owner in Weldon, Northants. He travelled the country, attending agricultural shows encouraging other farm parks to join. Jim Keetch passed away in 1998, but his name lives on through the Jim Keetch Farm Attraction of the Year Award now in its 18th year and through his pioneering work in setting up NFAN, a voice for the farm park industry.
A full set of photos can be found on the NFAN website
For hi-res images please contact NFAN as below.
Conference & Awards photographs by: Alan Rennie
For more information please contact Jodie Kimble info@farmattractions.net or call 03333 44 8987
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