The Farmers Mart Feb-Mar 2020 - Issue 67 | Page 25

FARM NEWS 25
• FEB/MAR 2020
The Lincolnshire Show:
The facts and figures:
Jane Hiles
does must be allowed to continue for the
benefit of everyone.”
In addition to hosting events ran by the
LAS, the showground acts as a venue for
other charitable organisations such as the
national Scouting Jamboree, Lincolnshire
Rural Support Network and St Barnabas
Hospice.
Bill Meredith, chief executive and prin-
cipal at Riseholme College, which is a part
of Bishop Burton College, said: “We have
a strong relationship with the LAS – our
new Showground Campus is located just
a short distance away at the Lincolnshire
Showground, which is a huge benefit and
really helps strengthen our partnership.
“We share similar objectives in terms of
educating people about food, farming and
a sustainable environment and we work
together to host joint events to help get
young people interested in agriculture and
to improve their understanding on where
their food comes from. The LAS also helps
provide work experience for our students
– something that is invaluable and incred-
ibly important from an educational aspect
and future-proofing the farming industry.
We are also extremely supportive of the
Lincolnshire Show and we work together
on the School’s Challenge, involving nearly
all the schools in Lincolnshire.”
Mary and Michael Davenport, owners
of Cote Hill Cheese from Osgodby,
Lincolnshire, have been dairy farmers
for more than 50 years and have been
exhibiting at the Lincolnshire Show for
more than ten years.
Michael said: “We exhibit at the
Lincolnshire Show, Food and Gift Fair and
Countryside Lincs. It produces brilliant
results for our business, brings in a lot
of local and new customers and helps
make the connection between us and our
consumers – we rely on the showground
events to sell our produce and help our
business grow.”
Jane Haigh, owner of Bridleway B&B
located one mile from the showground,
consistently sees an uplift in room book-
ings that mirrors the showground events
calendar. As an artist she is also a regular
exhibitor at the show and Food and Gift
Fair; selling her work.
Jane said: “Our small business ben-
efits hugely from the events held at
the Lincolnshire Showground – the
Lincolnshire Show in particular brings in a
flood of customers for us.
“The Showground has had a big helping
hand in growing my artwork business. I
have had an increase in customers and
have received lots of positive feedback
from exhibiting at the show - it is fantastic
to see the showground encouraging and
promoting local start-up businesses like
mine.”
Amy Conyard, director at Louth-based
gin producer Pin Gin and winner of the
Lincolnshire Showground’s Grow with the
Show competition in 2018, said: “Our stand
at the Lincolnshire Show is our biggest
event of the summer and our stand at
Food & Gift Fair is our biggest event of the
Christmas season.
“We see a huge increase in profits during
these times and the events help give us
the exposure to as many consumers as
possible. As a new local business, we have
really felt the support from the show-
ground since we launched three years ago
and we are incredibly appreciative.”
For more information visit
www.lincolnshireshow.co.uk
• 100% - of surplus funds are gift
aided back into the charity
• £11 million – the amount
spent at the show itself and in
surrounding restaurants, hotels
and other facilities in Lincoln
over the two-day event
• £1 million – is how much the
LAS has to pay to stage the
Lincolnshire Show on average
every year
• 60,000 – is the average
number of visitors attending
the show each year
• 12,600 – is the number of
young people involved in the
LAS education programme
• 6,000 – is the number of local
school children attending the
show every year
• 4,000 – the number of LAS
members who give donations
to help fund education work
• 104 – the number of busi-
nesses, representatives and
supporters involved in the LAS
education programme
• 27 – the number of charities
attending the Lincolnshire
Show in 2019
• 22 – the number of perma-
nent jobs created by the
Lincolnshire Agricultural
Society