As founder and Chair of The Succession Alliance, Mike has built a UK-wide network of independent succession experts working to a shared, people-first approach to farm succession. The Alliance has become a trusted partner of the CLA, giving CLA members access to specialist mediation for the difficult conversations around land, property and business succession. Mike also hosts the Alliance's International Succession Symposium, bringing together practitioners, researchers and farmers from the UK, Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand.
The Succession Alliance and the CLAFarm Succession, Partnerships, Mediation
Mike is CEO of The Family Mediation Trust, a Norwich-based charity that has been helping families reach agreements without going to court for over 42 years, with phone lines for Norfolk and Cambridge. The Trust has merged two charities into one, expanded regionally and developed new services, including child-inclusive mediation, inheritance mediation, post-agreement mediation and professional practice consultancy for mediators. It is an award-winning Legal Aid Provider of the Year and administers the Ministry of Justice's £500 mediation vouchers for eligible families. Mike measures client feedback on every closed case, and under his leadership the Trust's Net Promoter Score has risen quarter on quarter to 48, alongside growth in the charity's reserves.
The Family Mediation TrustCharity, CEO, Leadership, Mediation
Mike worked with Rebecca and Stuart at Old Hall Farm for over 18 months, starting when they had just seven cows and an idea for a farm shop. He wrote the business plans, drafted the planning justification statement and helped the family secure grant funding. The farm shop and café went ahead, the herd grew and the business now sells raw Jersey milk.
Old Hall FarmPlanning, Grant Support, Farm Retail
Shropshire dairy farmers Linda and Roger Edwards wanted a new income stream to reduce their reliance on milk sales, but their grant application and planning approval had both stalled. Mike was brought in to get the grant application moving, and it was secured for a new campsite. He then took the planning application through to approval, and the campsite build went ahead.
Linda EdwardsTourism, Planning, Grant Funding
Tim and Sue wanted to open a farm shop, bakery and café at Long Crendon Manor. Mike was asked to build the business case for their loan application to the AMC, using benchmarked data and local research to prepare a full set of financial projections. The loan was secured. While the proposal was being drafted, Tim found that talking ideas through with Mike helped keep the business focused and decisions sound. The bakery and farm shop opened, followed by the café.
Long Crendon ManorBusiness Planning, Mentoring, Loan Application
Blackheath Farms had spent over a year reviewing its water security and gaining planning consent for a new 150,000 m³ reservoir on its farm on the Suffolk coast. Project delays meant the window for Productivity Grant funding was tight. Mike was asked to write the grant application and support it through the process with the RPA. The project secured 40% grant funding and the reservoir went into construction.
Blackheath Farms LLPIrrigation, Productivity Grant, Suffolk
The Department for Education commissioned a feasibility study into the proposed purchase of a farm for a specialist free school in Kent. The job was to test the proposal properly: reviewing the business plan, talking to the people involved, and setting out the advantages and risks of buying the farm. Mike led a small team combining technical expertise with practical farming experience to give the Department an impartial, well-evidenced appraisal to base its decision on.
Department for EducationFeasibility Study, Specialist Free School, Kent
