A DIRECTOR of Cumbrian-based Carrs Group has revealed the company is on target to post a record profit.

Speaking at the Newton Rigg Society's fourth annual dinner, non-executive chairman Chris Holmes said the business was expected to achieve a profit of £16.5 million this year.

He said profits were 'modest' at the company when he took over as chief executive in 1994; but they began to grow as Carrs became transformed into a global business in agriculture, food and engineering.

His insights into life at Carrs and in agriculture were enjoyed by past and present Newton Rigg College students at the dinner in Penrith.

More than 90 guests gathered included a mix of ex-students from as early as the 1950s as well as members of the current student union and staff from the college. During a pre-dinner reception, everyone took the opportunity to look back at archive material and photos.

A raffle and auction of promises organised by society committee member and master of ceremonies John Rigg raised £2,200 for the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution, which supports struggling farming families.

Society chairman, South Lakes farmer Trevor Wilson, told the gathering: “Once again this has been an excellent way for past and present students to reconnect. We want to keep the momentum going and have already outlined a series of visits and events for 2016 that we hope will attract more interest from past students.”

The vote of thanks was given by Rhys Bainbridge a member of the Newton Rigg Student Union.

The Society’s first event of 2016 is set to be a social at J36 Rural Auction Centre, to be held at the end of February, with a farm walk and pie and pea supper to be held at Low Howgill, Milburn, later in the spring.