A New Chapter for Whins Farm: Meet Our New Tenants
Our New Tenants: Kieran and Áine 📸 Julie Blacow
Addington Fund is delighted to welcome Kieran and Áine, along with their young family, as the new tenants of Whins Farm.
Following an open day in May, Addington Fund received 28 expressions of interest for the tenancy advertised through rural land and property specialists GSC Grays.
The couple were immediately drawn to the opportunity when they heard about Addington Fund’s starter farm opportunity and the vision they had for Whins Farm.
“When we read about the Addington Fund’s starter farm scheme and what Whins Farm was intended to provide, it immediately caught our attention. Opportunities to take on a farm are incredibly difficult to come by, so we knew we had to give it our best shot,” said Kieran and Áine.
The selection process began with applicants submitting a comprehensive tender, from which three outstanding candidates were shortlisted. Representatives from the charity then visited each candidate at their home farm, providing an opportunity to learn more about their businesses, aspirations and vision for Whins Farm. These visits gave valuable insight into the candidates' farming experience, ambitions and their plans for the farm if their tender was successful.
The selection panel was hugely impressed by the quality of the shortlisted candidates. In fact, the panel felt that, had three farms been available, they would have been delighted to offer a tenancy to each of the finalists.
Ultimately, Kieran and Áine were chosen because the panel believed the opportunity would have the greatest impact on their lives and farming business. Having a permanent base will allow them to bring together the different aspects of their farming enterprise, making day-to-day farming more manageable and provide a stronger foundation from which to build their future.
Fund Director Sue English said:
“We are delighted that Kieran and Áine will be taking on the tenancy of Whins Farm. Kieran has lived in the area all his life, while Áine also brings valuable hill farming experience. Both are passionate about sheep farming and have worked tirelessly to build their own flock, despite having no permanent base and relying on parcels of grazing land wherever they could find them.”
Mary Blades
For Kieran, Whins Farm also carries a very personal connection to the farm, because as a boy, he was a regular visitor to the late owners, Mary and Joe Blades. After leaving school, Kieran spent two years working for the Stainton family at Beck House Farm, next door to Whins, where he got to know Mary and Joe.
“On leaving school I did a couple of years working for the Stainton family at Beck House Farm, next door to Whins. This is when I got to know Joe and Mary. On several occasions we would pop round and help them, whether it be gathering the fell, helping with sheep or loading their wool onto the wagon,” Kieran explained.
That connection makes the couple’s new chapter at Whins Farm particularly special.
Whins Farm came into Addington Fund’s care following a gift in the late Mary Blades’ Will. Mary had expressed a wish for the farm to be passed on to a “keen and enthusiastic young farmer”, and when a suitable local buyer could not be found, Addington Fund stepped in. The charity has since been carefully restoring the farmhouse, barns and yard to create its first starter farm and provide a new entrant with the opportunity to establish a farming business.
The restored farmhouse at Whins Farm 📸Stuart Walker
After months of careful work, renovations and repairs are now nearing completion, ensuring the farm is ready for Kieran and Áine and their young family when they move in on 1 October.
For the couple, the opportunity represents far more than simply taking on a tenancy.
“We know how difficult it is for the next generation to get onto the farming ladder, which is why we feel incredibly lucky to have been chosen. We want to make the most of this chance and show what can be achieved when people are given the opportunity to make a start,” said Kieran and Áine.
Sue English added:
“We believe Mary would be pleased to know that the tenancy has been awarded to a couple who so closely match her wish for the farm to be passed on to a ‘keen and enthusiastic young farmer’.
“Their dedication, determination and enthusiasm for farming make them fitting custodians for Whins Farm’s next chapter.”
A new beginning for Whins Farm
Whins Farm forms part of Addington Fund’s New Entrant Scheme, which combines Starter Farms with grants designed to help the next generation establish themselves in agriculture. The scheme aims to give new entrants the opportunity to get their feet on the farming ladder and build resilient, sustainable farming businesses.
For Kieran and Áine, the keys to Whins Farm will mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter, one that brings together their passion for sheep farming, their growing family and a farm that has already played an important part in Kieran’s life.
Kieran with their daughter with the show sheep📸 Linda Alan Photography
And, in doing so, they will help ensure that Mary and Joe’s legacy at Whins Farm continues for generations to come.
To read more about Whins Farm and its history click here.
To find out more about Addington Fund’s New Entrant Scheme and how it supports the next generation of farmers click here.
Whins Farm, taken in August 2026 📸Stuart Walker