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SIOBHAN GODWOOD FINDS OUT ABOUT A SOCIAL ENTERPRISE THAT PROVIDES MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES – AND TONS OF DELICIOUS ORGANIC VEG FOR ITS CUSTOMERS, TOO
n the 1980s, a group of forward- thinkers made up of social workers and the families of people with learning disabilities came together to try and address a particular issue: challenging and supporting adults with disabilities in the world of work. The solution was to form a new social enterprise, a ‘care farm’ where co- workers could learn and grow in a safe and supportive environment, spending time outdoors, developing new skills, and forming strong working relationships and friendships. In 1989, the group leased some farmland from the Cambridgeshire County Farms Estate, and today – just
over 30 years on – Prospects Trust at Snakehall Farm is a thriving, ever-growing project, having expanded beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. “We set up the farm initially through a combination of grants and donations,” explains farm manager, Mark Connell. “We offer a true working environment for all of our co-workers, with therapy through horticulture. Many families find it difficult to find meaningful activities for adults with learning disabilities to take part in, and the real joy of Prospects Trust is that our co-workers can really see the results of their hard work in the vegetables that we produce and sell.”
IMAGES Prospects Trust at Snakehall Farm is a social enterprise that helps adults with learning disabilities learn and grow in a safe environment
Snakehall Farm’s co-workers come to them through a combination of referrals by social workers and word-of-mouth recommendations. “Now we’ve got about 70 co-workers coming in each week, split into different teams for each day,” says Mark. “They all get experience and training doing all kinds of different things; all but one of them drive the tractor – she’s called Tilly Tractor, and she has her own Facebook page. We have the farm shop, which has been recently rebuilt thanks to a grant from Santander. Our co-workers fill the shelves and keep it all well stocked, and it runs on an honesty box system. We also have 14 polytunnels, and the co-workers get involved with every little thing: ordering seeds, propagating seeds, planting, harvesting, grading and selling. This year, the co-workers wanted to try planting watermelons, so we’re giving that a go! Everything is organic, too, we don’t use any chemicals, and we plant lots of new trees and hedges on the site, to help with our carbon footprint.” There’s always lots of planting and picking to do in the spring and summer, and in winter, particularly in the run-up
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