Northumberland deerstalker Jon Snowdon has expanded his bed and breakfast and training businesses with the help of Defra's Rural Enterprise Scheme (RES).

Jon and his wife Andrea left behind a family business in Whitley Bay 16 years ago to enjoy the slower pace of rural life at Greenlee, near Barden Mill.

Greenlee, a typical Northumberland hill farm, had been derelict since the early 1960s. The couple worked hard to renovate the building and launched a bed and breakfast business.

Jon also worked as a deerstalker on local estates, helping landowners manage their deer populations to ensure healthy herds and to minimise the damage that the deer cause to crops and land.

As a qualified instructor, Jon also offers training to others in deer management techniques and is an accredited witness for the Deer Stalking Certificate Level 2.

Now, with the help of a RES grant of nearly £50,000, the couple have been able to refurbish several outbuildings at Greenlee to provide a self-catering cottage and two extra double-bedrooms for visitors and those wishing to undergo training, as well as a larder to store the deer meat.

Jon explained:

"We only had two rooms - a double and a single - in the house and there were times when we had to turn people away. Sometimes those taking part in training wanted to bring their families along to enjoy a holiday at the same time, but we just couldn't accommodate them.

"With the help of the RES funding we are now able to offer a much wider range of accommodation than before, to cater for families as well as being able to offer group training sessions."

He added:

"Deer management plays an important role in running an estate. I work closely with the owners and managers of several Northumberland estates to calculate their existing deer populations, age groups and the numbers that need to be culled to keep the balance of a healthy population while safeguarding the land and crops from damage.

"Northumberland has a thriving population of native roe deer, which are doing extremely well, but they do need to be culled and managed, as much for their own benefit as that of the landowners. As a result, demand for our services is growing and demand is also growing for training in deer management."

Karen Purvis, a adviser for the Rural Development Service in the North East, said:

"Careful management of the land and its wildlife plays an important role in preserving and enhancing our landscape and we're delighted to have been able to support the Snowdons in their efforts to expand their business.

"This expansion will not only help ensure a sustainable future for the Snowdons' business but also enable more people to access the training they offer, thus helping to meet the demand for people with deer management skills."