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Providing life-enhancing educational and social opportunities for the Isle of Sheppey and the local and wider community of Swale, each week offering farming education to children, adults with complex learning difficulties and providing voluntary opportunities to vulnerable adults.

Curly’s Legacy - back of Esther wearing farm staff t-shirt Displaying curved border tall mask image
Curly’s Legacy - Esther smiling and wearing farm staff t-shirt Displaying curved border tall mask image
Location
Swale
Funder
Dulverton Trust Fund
Amount Awarded
£4,980
Date Awarded
July 2021
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About the project

Curly’s Legacy is committed to providing life-enhancing educational and social opportunities for the Isle of Sheppey and the local and wider community of Swale, each week offering farming education to children, adults with complex learning difficulties and providing voluntary opportunities to vulnerable adults. Beneficiaries receive a fully immersed farm experience, working with rare breeds reared for fleece, meat, dairy and breeding, with potential to gain qualifications.

The grant covered the costs to deliver the project for eleven adults aged 18-25 years with intellectual learning difficulties. The programme was delivered in a multitude of ways to suit the individual needs, interests and aspirations of the young adults.

Farming duties included; farming livestock, small animal care, office admin and assisting in the setting up of the farm shop to the public.

The young adults worked towards a varied array of accreditations, based upon their interests, activities, and experiences at the farm and some were recruited to paid staff from this project.

Beneficiary story

Esther, 23, arrived at the farm in 2021 to join this project. She has been working on the farm with the support of her tutor from Bemix. Staff observed the change in her demeanour from being selective mute, as she became comfortable handling the animals and with this confidence came speech and the ability to communicate with staff about animal needs.

She has since gained AQAs in introduction to animal care, studying farm animal welfare, moving and handling sheep, collecting sorting and packing eggs and basic farm keeping.

She has shown such commitment to the work she was doing that she has been nominated for a volunteer award at Buckingham Palace. She progressed to volunteering for four days per week but has since been taken on as Farm Staff.

MASSIVE 'thank you ' to everyone at Kent Community Foundation. Your funding support is HUGELY appreciated and has enabled us to get into the heart of local communities with REAL, affordable, healthy and tasty food that does so much more than feed people.

Community chef Mike Spackman, Sheppey Matters

KCF's enthusiasm for what we are doing and hoping to do, coupled with helpful advice, gave us the confidence to take this daunting step which has paid off.

Liz Turner, Octopus Foundation

It's great having a foundation that empowers organisations and charities in our community to make real positive differences and changes!

Tom, MMK Mind