News - November - December 2004

EDEN businessman Michael Bell has been appointed new chairman of Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency (CREA).

Mr Bell, ( right ) is managing director of his family’s highly successful bakery firm Bells of Lazonby, and has promised to help other Cumbria ’s rural businesses take charge of their own destiny. He believes many of the county’s businesses have not taken the opportunity to “add enough value” to their products by highlighting their unique identity in rural Cumbria .

A CREA board member since 2002, Mr Bell says it is a privilege to be work-based in the Eden countryside, but with that comes difficulties such as links with public transport and lack of affordable rural housing.

He says he is anxious that rural workers have a place to live and work, and Cumbria should not be turned into “one big retirement home”.

“Cumbria needs help to change to a more viable self-sufficient county and we at CREA have to help Cumbrian businesses - to help themselves,” said Mr Bell.

He added: “To succeed in business you have to get up early and go to bed late, work hard – but you also need a bit of luck. We have to make the most of the hand we are dealt with, and we are not doing that at the moment.”

Born in Penrith, Michael Bell attended Lazonby primary school before moving to Sedbergh School . He later completed his education with a degree at Manchester and is a graduate of the Institute of Marketing . He is married to Susan, and they have one daughter Pollyanna, aged four.

After spells with Tesco and Ryvita, he returned to join the family business in 1984, and later attended the National Bakery School in London before taking over in 1993 from his father John who had co-founded the business with the late Commander John Bell in 1946.

He has concerns about regionalisation of government if it is to be based in Warrington, which he says, to many Cumbrians is half-way to London, and there are fears that rural Cumbria could be further marginalized.

Mr Bell succeeds as CREA chairman the well known rural business guru John Dunning of Orton near Tebay, who retired this summer after 20 years of service. Mr Dunning has a truly remarkable record serving Cumbria ’s rural communities, although he is probably best know as creator of Westmorland Service Stations on the M6, and Rheged the popular visitor attraction near Penrith. Mr Dunning has taken on the role as President of CREA.

CREA has offices in Penrith and Kendal and has grown to become a major economic force within rural Cumbria, employing more than 90 full and part-time staff, and last year alone assisted in excess of 5,000 of the counties rural businesses.

Bob Clark, chief executive of CREA, said: “Michael taking the chairmanship continues the tradition of the agency being business-led and focussed at a time when our range of business support programs are the most comprehensive ever delivered by CREA.”

CUMBRIA ORGANIC HUB 2/11/04

A NEW service to provide a central point for the development of organic food in Cumbria was launched this week. [3/11/04] at Redhills, Penrith (morning).

The Cumbria Organic Hub (COH) is a new partnership between Cumbria Organics and Cumbria Rural Enterprise Agency (CREA), and will be based at the CREA offices at Redhills, Penrith.

It will work closely with other rural business support services run by CREA such as Distinctly Cumbrian and the new Farming Connect Cumbria , as well as colleagues in the North West Organic Centre and the Soil Association.

Kate Gascoyne, who was a founder member of Cumbria Organics, will be the coordinator and based at the CREA offices. The service will advise farmers considering conversion to organic, existing organic farmers looking to add to their products, and advice for wholesalers, retailers, caterers or families looking to source organic food.

Kate said: “We’re here to help Cumbria ’s organic farmers and food businesses succeed by strengthening their production methods, and encouraging better marketing. Obviously, it’s no good producing a product without a market, or creating a market without a sustainable supply.”

Kate says they will try and offer one-stop-shop for organic producers, with individual half-day farm visits to talk over each farmer’s circumstances and proposals, before offering advice and support on “putting it all together”.

“The organic market offers some attractive opportunities, but is also very challenging. Cumbria Organics has already demonstrated some of these challenges are better tackled collaboratively.”

When Cumbria Organics began in 1998 they had five registered organic producers: that number has since grown to 60, and the organic movement is recognised as the most rapidly expanding food market in Europe , which now accounts for one per cent of the productive land.

The COH will initially aim for a co-ordinated supply network for wholesale beef and sheep producers, encourage existing organic farmers to share their experiences with others, hold workshops with technical and marketing experts, and supply information for schools and organisations with visits to organic farms. COH will also signpost farmers to grant applications, conversion schemes, and all other advice.

The scheme has been funded for the next three years by the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, after initial funding from Leader Plus Fells and Dales programme, Distinctly Cumbrian, and the Northern Rock Foundation. /ends

For further information on COH contact Kate Gascoyne on 01768 891444