Sarah Syke, co-owner of Piglets Adventure Farm, received support from the Growth Hub to develop her leadership and management skills, investing in herself to secure a bright future for the farm.
Piglets Adventure Farm is a charming visitor attraction for children. With wellies, waterproofs, suncream, and sun hats, children can enjoy a unique experience, seeing piglets up close at their level.
Sarah joined the business as a co-owner three years ago, after her children started school. She now oversees marketing and development, enhancing the Piglets brand and reputation, while her husband Ed handles the more creative aspects of the business.
Louise Saw, Business Growth Manager for City of York Council, introduced Sarah to Adrian O’Neill the Growth Hub’s skills and training specialist. Adrian was able to assess Sarah’s needs and talk her through the available funding and training opportunities, which led her to the peer-to-peer support, by TAB York.
As a small business with a core team of fifteen and additional seasonal staff, Sarah felt she needed a sounding board outside of the business to help her develop.
After reading about the TAB course, and what it does, it felt like the perfect fit, providing the support needed in an open forum, with like-minded people. Sarah benefited from sharing experiences with a diverse range of businesses, and said; “No matter what business you’re in, we’re all facing similar challenges. It’s a very supportive environment.”
Sarah and Ed are proud of the progress they’ve made with Piglets Adventure Farm over the past five years. Despite the challenges posed by Covid, they’ve successfully grown the business into a beloved family-run attraction. Their greatest achievement is creating a hopeful future, where children can experience animals up close, often for the first time. Sarah takes pride in navigating the business to its current success, emphasising the importance of providing unique, educational experiences for children.
Sarah said; “I feel I’m a better manager through the support received on the TAB, being able to realise my own strengths and weaknesses and being better able to build on my staffs’ careers.
“When I think of the future and where I go from here, I want to continue to build on everything we’ve done in the last 5 years and stay true to our values of showing children what happens on a farm. Building on our amazing team and continuing to grow.
“I’m grateful for the support received from the Growth Hub and would highly recommend reaching out to anyone looking to develop and grow.