A FARM has expanded its business by taking animals to schoolchildren using a double-decker bus.

Gill Rivers, who runs South Newton Grange Farm, near Sadberge, Darlington, with her husband, Dave, wanted to set up a facility for children focusing on learning about animals.

But with mass access to the farm, located off the busy A66, likely to prove problematic, Mrs Rivers decided instead to take the farm directly to the children.

She came up with the idea of the Farmyard Flyer, a double-decker bus, including large farm animals on the lower deck and small animals such as rabbits, lizards and chinchillas on the top deck.

Young children can walk through the bus, meeting the animals and learning about them as they go.

Mrs Rivers, a part-time teacher at Houghall College in Durham, said: “Originally we wanted to open up at home as an education centre, but our access is inadequate at the moment, so we decided to take the animals to the schools.”

At present, Mrs Rivers’ and her husband’s main income comes from their other jobs, but she hopes with the expansion of the business that could change.

She said: “I would like it to become our main income – there is nothing better than working with kids and animals.

“We want to promote rare breeds, encourage children to look after animals and also to teach them where food comes from.

“A lot of kids think you get eggs from a cardboard box.”

The couple received £9,000 to help set up the bus from the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE).

Mrs Rivers said: “To get the support of the RDPE programme has been critical to achieving my aim.

“We have already had a lot of interest from schools and attended the Sedgefield Show which saw over 500 people on the bus who all gave positive feedback, saying climbing on board a double-decker bus and seeing animals on board was just brilliant.”

The RDPE is jointly funded by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the European Union and managed in the North-East by One North East, Natural England and the Forestry Commission.

Adrian Sherwood, RDPE manager at One North East, said: “This project is an excellent example of a working farmer who is using her knowledge and expertise to educate children about the importance of farming and food, but also creating a new side to the farming business securing a viable future.”

The couple, who bought the farm three years ago and specialise in rare breeds of sheep, pigs and cattle, also received support from Business Link.

Business Link advisor Jonathan Barnes said: “The business is a great example of the rural business successes we continue to have in the North-East.”

A variety of educational packages using the bus are available depending on age and ability. The types of activity vary across the seasons, such as incorporating bottlefeeding lambs in spring and sheep shearing in June.