Contributing to the community in which we belong is important to us – as individuals and as a business. At the heart of our operations is the land on which we’re located; Woodhorn Farm has been managed by the Pitts family since 1882. As a result taking an interest and supporting the local community in which we’re based means a lot to us.
As well as our work to champion gardens and green spaces with schools, charities and community initiatives as part of our Earth Cycle brand, we also work in and around our local area with regular support for handful of organisations.
Oving Youth Club Our local youth club meets weekly and offers sports, events and activities to young people between the ages of 9 and 16, who live in and around Oving. Residential activities are offered including overnight stays at Lodge Hill too. We provide sponsorship to the Club, to enable to team who run it to offer a wide variety of subsidised events, and regularly welcome them all to the farm for visits to meet the team and our cows.
The Aldingbourne Trust For many years we’ve actively supported The Aldingbourne Trust, a charity that provides care, support and employment opportunities to people with learning disabilities and autism in West Sussex. As well as funding the creation of a hedge maze at the Aldingbourne Country Centre, we actively support their thriving wood recycling enterprise and have provided bark chip and composts for their children’s play areas. Our owner John Pitts is also a Trustee, providing guidance and due diligence to ensure the Trust delivers on its purpose.
The Oving Cow Shed Our newest venture, through our Woodhorn Farm brand, has seen us set up The Oving Cow Shed – a milk vending machine at the Oving Jubilee Hall, so that our local community can buy the farm’s organic milk, along with produce from other local suppliers. Our arrangement with the Hall also means that we donate some of the profits from the Shed to support other community events.
Local Schools For our local village school, The March CE Primary, we’ve been delighted to help transform their garden with both materials and design help. In Chichester we’ve supplied some of the materials for the garden at St Joseph’s Nursery too. And on the coast in Selsey we regularly support the team at Youth Dream with their gardening and environmental therapy project, The Hidden Garden.
St Richards Hospital At our local NHS hospital a garden has been created, linked to the Donald Wilson Neurological Rehabilitation Centre, which is a specialist centre helping support adults with brain injuries to live independently. As well as supplying topsoil, compost and bark, our team got stuck in to help bring the garden to life too.
We’re very proud of all that goes on in our local community and look forward to continuing to support these amazing organisations during the months and years ahead.
The Woodhorn Business Centre, set in the superb West Sussex countryside, supports a diverse range of businesses. We’re home to more than a dozen companies ranging from management trainers and camper van hire to fabricators and architects.
When our owner John Pitts took over Woodhorn Farm more than 25 years ago, he was keen to explore ways in which to diversify the business. With a set of farm buildings no longer required for agricultural use, the decision was made to convert them, and the business centre was born! We now have over 27,000 square feet of mixed commercial use space, including self-storage units, offices, warehousing and light industrial workshops.
Today we are very proud to be supporting a fantastic group of local companies including:
Chichester Biltong – makers of premium biltong and home to the largest biltong drying facility in the UK and Europe
Growtrain – training company with a focus on the land based sector
Landcruise – motorhome hire specialists with a fleet of vehicles for rental
M&J Engineering – expert engineering company, offering solutions for agricultural, horticultural and other sectors
With easy access to the A27, both Chichester and Bognor Regis nearby and free parking, our commercial spaces offer a stunning rural location with views of the South Downs, plenty of beautiful outside space and our herd of Organic dairy cows often found in nearby fields.
Both of our West Sussex sites in Oving, the Woodhorn Business centre and Ham Farm, are highly sought after but to discuss future availability, please contact Kayleigh Akehurst.
Morgan Davies is our Materials Recycling Director. As part of our meet the team blog series, Morgan shares more about his role and what a typical working day looks like.
I’m awake just before 6am, and head downstairs with the dog to sort the kitchen out from the night before. With my children old enough to get themselves to school, I’m free to head off to work just after 7am. Depending on the traffic on the A27, I’m usually in the office before 8am, and settle myself with a cup of tea to check emails and our in-house systems to see what activity looked like from the day before.
I’m responsible for our Waste Recycling Enterprise – we have two sites in West Sussex and process up to 100,000 tonnes of green waste each year. We work with a range of organisations, including local authorities, national companies and trade landscapers, processing green waste into compost, topsoil and other garden products. With a move to sustainability and recycling it’s a busy and growing sector. As well as exploring new business opportunities I work closely with our key clients and support our Area Operations Manager in leading our 21 strong Waste Recycling team. We’re proud of our Quality and Environmental ISO standards – and another part of my role is ensuring we remain audit compliant.
The team dynamic
It’s great to work in such a lovely green space – in the Sussex countryside outside Chichester – and I enjoy collaborating with our people and being part a dynamic and successful team. Independence and trust are championed here so it’s great to be able to take full ownership of various projects and tasks – and then cascade that autonomy through the rest of the team.
Typically my time is spent reviewing various health, safety, quality and environmental management documents, updating statistics and KPIs and staying in close contact with our key clients. Alongside this I’ll manage PAS100 and ISO audits through the year, as well as keeping budgets updated and reporting on performance to the rest of the management team and the Board.
It’s been a much more stable few years, especially given the turbulence we saw at the start of the pandemic, and the significant increases in the cost of fuel. The past few years have seen us with a number of challenges including staff shortages and the political and socio-economic impacts faced by many organisations. And with both our compost production and farming operation there have been the inevitable issues caused by more extreme weather events. But we’ve learnt to adapt and overcome, and our strong team culture has certainly helped us navigate through tricky times.
Embracing wider responsibilities
Whilst I head up all things involving waste recycling and mainly focus on that area, as a Director I’m also heavily involved in our business-to-consumer division, called Earth Cycle. I keep a close eye on which products are selling, and quality control of our product range. And while I’m usually at my desk, there are regularly visits to the compost sites for scheduled meetings and catch ups.
Being in the office so much sometimes means it’s tricky to get my steps in every day, so I often run during my lunchbreak, aiming for at least 8km twice a week. With plenty of fields and trails around the office it makes for a good break. If the weather is against me I’ll use the gym!
Afternoons are usually set aside for other meetings, and I’ll thoroughly track and report on our financial and operational performance too. I keep a close eye on our health and safety and it’s also critical to keep up to date with the latest legislation for obvious reasons.
Before finishing I’ll check my calendar to see what’s planned for the next day – and make sure I’m well prepared. Then it’s back in the car and home!
Meet Raimonds Mamonovs, our Area Operations Manager. In this meet the team blog series, you can find out more about our team, their roles and a what a typical working day looks like.
I’m awake at 6am, and enjoy a fresh cup of coffee whilst checking the day’s weather forecast to prepare for whatever conditions lie ahead. The past few months have been challenging, with one of the wettest spring’s on record, which has impacted the volume of green waste we’ve received, and our compost production, so the weather is a high priority! I’m at the office around 7.20am, to welcome the team as they arrive. Once we’re all in we gather for our morning meeting, to discuss the day’s agenda and share any updates. It’s a collaborative and energising start and gets us all ready for the day. I also make it a point to conduct a walk around our Tangmere site, inspecting operations, ensuring everything is running smoothly and addressing any issues. I’ll also head to Runcton a few times throughout the week. These visits are essential for making sure all sites are running smoothly and efficiently. During these visits, I also run health and safety checks, and environmental assessments, to maintain all regulations and standards.
Back at my desk I make time to review our procedures, update documentation as needed, and implement improvements – we’re always keen to be efficient and effective.
Composting and Collaborating
As Area Operations Manager I oversee our day-to-day operations and the management of our two licensed composting facilities. I’m responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of our machinery, coordinating staff, ensuring health and safety standards are met, and maintaining consistent standards across our sites.
A key aspect of my role is to manage the composting process efficiently, adhering to all health and safety, environmental, and quality standards. This includes maintaining detailed records and ensuring compliance with relevant protocols and regulations.
As part of the management team I also get involved in strategic planning, decision-making, and making sure our organisational goals and objectives are on track.
The best part of my job is undoubtedly the fact that no two days are ever the same. I thrive on the variety and really enjoy problem-solving, which puts my creativity and analytical skills to the test. With a team of 18 to manage, I find working closely with people is incredibly rewarding. Whether it’s collaborating with colleagues to overcome obstacles or interacting with clients and stakeholders, building relationships and making a positive impact is always fulfilling.
Covid Changed Everything
One of the most challenging moments was navigating through the COVID-19 pandemic. Everything shifted overnight – from the way we worked to the way we interacted with customers. As people took to their gardens, our sales surged, so we had to meet increased demand whilst keeping everyone safe. Implementing strict health and safety protocols, such as social distancing and enhanced hygiene, became paramount. And staffing shortages due to self-isolation and ensuring adequate spacing between team members added an extra layer of complexity!
Despite these difficulties, our team rallied together with flexibility and dedication. Strong communication, problem-solving and great teamwork ensured we served our customers effectively during these uncertain times. It was a period that truly tested our mettle but also highlighted the strength of our team and our ability to adapt.
Signing Off
Before heading home, I try to tie up any loose ends and prepare for the next day. As well as checking my emails and calendar for future tasks and meetings, I take a final walk around site to ensure everything’s in order. Finally, I check that all equipment and facilities are securely locked up and put away, ensuring the safety and security of our premises. This always helps my peace of mind, allowing me to switch smoothly from work to home life.
Environmental stewardship schemes, which DEFRA manages, aim to encourage farmers to put land aside to improve wildlife and reduce farming’s impact on the environment. As part of our role as custodians of this special area of Sussex farmland, we’ve embraced some of these schemes to help protect the environment. Cameron Lewis, our MD, shares details of some of the environmental schemes we’ve adopted on the Farm and the benefits we’re seeing.
Farming in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way is very important to us. Being part of national environmental schemes matches both our vision and mission as an organisation. There are clear benefits of taking part – for both the land, and our culture as a business. There’s also, it has to be said, an element of income support for the farm – which helps too!
We’re currently signed up to a 5-year Mid-Tier Countryside Stewardship Scheme, which runs until December 2026. We’re also part of a 3-year Sustainable Farming Initiative which runs to the same timeframe.
What’s involved in environmental schemes?
All schemes require a significant amount of additional work. This can range from additional soil testing to measure soil health, to planting specific seed mixes on a specific piece of ground that will feed birds through the winter months. We’ve got a number of measures in place that enhance our natural hedgerows and create wildlife corridors that shelter the smaller birds and mammals on the Farm. Other measures like planting winter cover crops or herbal grass leys help to reduce nutrient leaching into the water courses and lower the risks of soil erosion during heavy rainfall periods. We treat the management of these schemes like any other cash crop to ensure the measures we sign up to are effective and get the right attention through the farming year.
What are the benefits of taking part?
Over the last 25 years of being certified organic and participating in the numerous environmental schemes we’ve seen a huge increase in wildlife diversity. This is across the food chain too – from birds of prey to the insect life and improvements to soil health.
We’re very much in favour of these schemes. They’re always evolving, have generally improved and are easier to tailor. Getting a balance of farms in the UK producing food for the population as well as looking after the environment is challenging, but so important.
We’ve also gone further with some of our own environmental projects too, from installing solar energy for use on Farm, to working to ISO14001 international standards for environmental management. This acts as a framework for the business in setting continuous improvement goals and reducing our impact as a business on the environment we live in.
What’s next?
We’re keen to get more involved and sign up to more measures that will help the bio-diversity within the Farm estate. We’re also working on a Group-wide project to set out our longer-term plans around the environment, sustainability and how we govern the business to ensure these areas progress into the future.
On 31st May 2024, our composting site at Manor Farm on Hayling Island closed, ahead of us handing the management of the site back to the landlord. All trade customers who made use of this facility during the seven years in which we operated it were communicated with ahead of the closure to advise them about the change.
Our two composting sites in West Sussex, near Chichester, at Tangmere and Runcton, remain open and continue to accept green waste. We are extremely proud of our work to recycle green waste from across Hampshire and West Sussex and currently manage around 100,000 tonnes of material each year.
To discuss any aspect of green waste management please contact our team on 01243 781730 or info@woodhorngroup.co.uk.
Meet Cameron Lewis, our Managing Director. In this meet the team blog series, you can find out more about our team, their roles and a what a typical working day looks like.
I’ve spent the majority of my career in farming and agriculture, so I’ve always woken early. I’m normally up and about by 6am, and the addition of children and family life hasn’t really changed things! Being awake early means I can get my eldest two packed and off to the school bus for 7am. I can then spend time with my youngest who, at 4, ensures breakfast involves some enjoyable conversations – she certainly helps set a positive mood for the day ahead. The final job before heading out the door is to make sure Mrs Lewis has a hot cup of coffee in her hand.
I have the benefit of living on the farm and so it’s a very short commute for me, but also means I have lots of open space on my doorstep to walk Andy, our dog. My proximity to the office also helps me get there early so I can greet the team as they arrive and have a bit of a catch up before we all start work.
It probably goes without saying that as MD of a highly diverse business with a team of nearly 50 employees, there’s no such thing as a ‘normal’ day. I report to the owner of the business and oversee the cultural and strategic direction of The Woodhorn Group, so the demands on my time vary significantly across a year. As with any farming operation, there is some seasonality and I’m used to the flow of that, but equally, life throws curve balls and so even when I do plan my days, sometimes something comes up that requires my attention. I’ve become good at pivoting and delegating to the five members of the senior management team who report directly to me, and I’m fortunate to have effective people around me. They are primarily responsible for the day-to-day operation of our core business divisions which include the farm and dairy, waste management, certified soils and the business centre. There’s also the overall finance and HR aspects of managing a growing team within a multi-million turnover organisation.
A changing role in a changing business
My role has changed a lot over the 15 years of working with Woodhorn, mainly because the business has changed and grown so much. Through the week I aim to spend time in each department, working on any live projects and speaking to the team. I will visit all the sites and farms through the month but no longer need to do so on a daily basis, given the skill of our managers.
From time to time there are projects that require my attention more than others. Our milk vending operation, which launched in 2023, was one of these. This was a big project for us as a business and for me personally, as it’s another aspect of our continued diversification, a key theme in our strategy. It allows us to sell our organic whole milk direct to the public and takes us closer to the consumer than any other aspect of our operations. The complexities of getting the systems and processes in place to sell a single litre of milk to a member of the public, in a business which normally ships 5,000 litres a day in a bulk tanker, was interesting! But this is what I enjoy about my role, and I like that I’m always learning.
Whilst the diversity of my role is what keeps it fresh and interesting, it can also be one of the most challenging aspects. Juggling priorities and allotting time to each of the different operations can mean I have to swap hats at speed and quickly recall information about projects, strategies and budgets. So it’s important that I know and understand each part of the business, but without being involved in everything, all of the time. I have a genuine interest in all that we do, so it can be hard to maintain the divide between strategic and operational. Again, the strength and quality of our team means I know I don’t need to be involved in every little decision.
Strategic time management
One of the practices I’ve developed to remain strategic is booking out chunks of time to look at the business as a whole, each business unit individually and also the wider market. This means going out, meeting other similar businesses, visiting suppliers, attending conferences and importantly, spending time with John, the business owner. I actively look forward to the part of the year where we start looking at the next 12 months and also those sessions where we set a slightly longer term strategic flight path for the business.
Looking back over my 15 years, many of our plans have come to fruition, but there are of course some that haven’t taken off. Like any business we’ve had challenges over the years; from economic impacts to the weather and from health emergencies (both animal and human!) to significant changes in demand. We’ve always had to pivot, and been tested, but typically, because we’ve made diversification the core of our strategy, we’ve not just survived but come through stronger.
A moment to reflect each day
Generally, I like to ensure that I’m organised and prepared for the next working day before heading home each evening. Recognising what I’ve achieved and looking at what’s on tomorrow’s agenda is important. If I’ve finished the day in the office, then the short walk home with Andy is lovely. In fact the beauty and peace of a rural environment is one of the things I love most. The other thing I like about life at Woodhorn is the people I get to work with. We’ve got a talented group of hardworking and very skilled people and being a family run business also means there is still a personal feel to the company. John still lives on the farm; his family has been farming here since the late 19th century. Sometimes as I walk home, I’ll bump into him and we’ll have a quick, unplanned update ‘over the farm gate’. These brief catch ups, late in the day, are really valuable and give us the chance to reflect on any highlights, challenges or ideas from the day.
Arriving home I’m straight into family life, hearing about school days and clubs before we all have dinner. Because we’re rural, and as the children get older, there’s often the need for ‘Dad’s Taxi’ in the evening, and if there’s some rugby to watch, I’ll be there! But most of the time a bit of peace, a chat, or a quick walk around the farm with Mrs Lewis, the children or Andy the dog is all it takes to reset before it’s time to do it all again tomorrow!
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