22/04/2012
Care Farming UK April 2012 e-bulletin
The latest Care Farming UK e-bulletin of 2012 is now available to read and as usual is packed with information, events, conferences and news about care farming initiatives in the UK. Download your copy using the link below:
April 2012 e-bulletin
15/03/2012
Care Farming UK March e-bulletin
The latest Care Farming UK e-bulletin of 2012 is now available to read and as usual is packed with information, events, conferences and news about care farming initiatives in the UK.
March e-bulletin
16/02/2012
Care Farming UK Feb e-bulletin
The second Care Farming UK e-bulletin of 2012 is now available to read and as usual is packed with information, events, conferences and news about care farming initiatives in the UK.
February 2012 e-bulletin
02/02/2012
East Anglia Care Farming Conference
A recent care farming conference in East Anglia proved a great success, attracting around 130 delegates in Debenham, Suffolk, in November 2011.
Called Growing Together, the conference featured talks from a number of practicing care farmers in the region.
For more details about care farming in East Anglia, visit our East of England regional page. A full report o the conference is available from the East Anglian Daily Times (click link below):
Countryside Therapy-Growing Together
02/02/2012
Care Farming UK Jan 2012 e-bulletin
The first Care Farming UK e-bulletin of 2012 is now available to read and as usual is packed with information, events, conferences and news about care farming in the UK. Click the link to download your copy:
January 2012 Care Farming UK e-bulletin
15/12/2011
Care Farming UK December e-bulletin
The final Care Farming UK e-bulletin of 2011 is now available to read and as usual is packed with information, events, conferences and news about care farming in the UK:
December 2011 e-bulletin
03/12/2011
Farming and Forestry Improvement Scheme
The Farming and Forestry Improvement Scheme, recently announced by Defra, is part of the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) and has been developed to help farming, forestry and horticultural businesses in England to become more efficient at using resources.
This scheme aims to help make businesses more profitable and resilient while reducing the impact of farming on the environment.
There is £20m available under FFIS until December 2013. The grants are for capital items and the grant rate available is up to 40% in non upland areas, and up to 50% in upland areas and the maximum grant allowable per project is £25,000. The minimum grant is £2,500.
For more information visit the RDPE website.
20/11/2011
Care Farming UK November 2011 e-bulletin
The November 2011 e-bulletin has the usual mix of news, events and information . It is now available to view using the following link:
November 2011 e-bulletin
03/11/2011
Care Farming Success
There has been a number of successes for care farmers and its supporters recently.
Sir Donald Curry has joined the House of Lords as a new non-party-political peer. Sir Donald is the Chair of NFU Mutual Insurance Society and was responsible for government strategy on sustainable food and farming until 2009. He has been a great supporter to care farming and our organisation since its inception in 2005. He also officially launched Care Farming UK earlier this year.
Meanwhile, Rhian Llwyd Elis and the co-workers at The Prospects Trust at Snakehall Farm in Cambridgeshire recently won the Co-operative Big Community Vote. Get more details via the
Co-operative website.
Care Farms scooped several awards at the BayerFace Awards, a competition to find the very best in farming education.
- Julie Plumley and her team at Rylands Farm in Dorset were the overall winner for 2011 and won the 'Careers on Farm Award'.
- Ellie Goff and her team at Butterfly Lodge Farm in Essex won the Biodiversity category.
- Warriner School Farm in Oxfordshire won the Farm to Classroom' category. These results confirm of the importance of care farms and all the hard work they carry out on a daily basis.
See more details on the Bayer Crop Science website.
21/10/2011
Care Farming UK October e-bulletin
The October 2011 e-bulletin has the usual mix of news, events and information. It is now available to view using the following link:
October 2011 e-bulletin
23/09/2011
Care Farming UK September e-bulletin
The September 2011 e-bulletin with news, events and the latest updates from us, including a case study of Growing Well Care Farm in Cumbria and news of awards for UK care farms, is now available to view using the following link:
September 2011 e-bulletin
22/07/2011
Care Farming UK July e-bulletin
The July e-bulletin with news, events and the latest updates from us, including the launch of Care Farming UK, a case study of the Curlew Centre in Wales and news of a double success for care farm Hill Holt Wood is now available to view using the following link:
July 2011 e-bulletin
21/07/2011
Care Farming UK launched
The rapid development of the UK's care farming movement has been given a boost by the launch of Care Farming UK, a new organisation which has evolved from the National Care Farming Initiative.
The new organisation will aim to increase support for care farmers and raise their profile with the public and commissioners for health and social care. The movement has grown quickly in the last five years and there are now more than 170 care farms in the UK with more being set up all the time.
Care Farming UK was launched by Sir Don Curry, Chairman of the UK's leading rural insurer NFU Mutual, at the Royal Norfolk Show on June 30. At the launch it was announced that NFU Mutual has awarded Care Farming UK a substantial grant to help develop its work.
The new organisation has evolved from the National Care Farming Initiative, which was set up in 2005 to provide support services for care farmers as well advocate on their behalf with policy makers.
Care Farming UK National Co-ordinator Gaynor Orton said that the new organisation would be a great help to care farms in the UK: "But we would also ask our users to bear with us during the transition phase, as changes in staffing and to the website may mean we will not be able to provide our normal level of service during this time."
08/05/2011
Care Farm Open Days
A selection of care farms across the UK are opening their gates this summer to help raise awareness about care farming.
Care Farming UK is supporting these Open Farm Days to help promote care farming to a wider audience and help showcase the benefits that care farms create.
Some of the open days are particularly aimed at attracting health or social care commissioners. Other care farms are opening up to the general public, with activities to make the event both fun and informative.
Read More: Care Farm Open Days
03/05/2011
Care Farming UK Spring 2011 Newsletter
For a pdf version of our latest Care Farming UK Newsletter - Spring 2011 - please click on the link below.
Spring 2011 Newsletter
15/04/2011
Farming on Prescription project
A new project called Farming on Prescription, which is taking place on Clinks Care Farm on the Suffolk/Norfolk border, is proving popular with both clients and GPs.
The one year pilot project has been made possible thanks a £90k Strategic Health Authority grant, which allows local GPs to refer their patients in primary care to the care farm as part of their treatment. The project allows 48 patients from the NHS Great Yarmouth and Waveney catch area to participate for one day a week over a period of 12 weeks.
So far, all the Farming on Prescription placements have been taken and patients are helping gather data to show evidence of improvement in well-being.
Farming on Prescription is being run in partnership with NHS Great Yarmouth and Waveney and Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.
Clinks Care Farm, a 143 acre Norfolk County Farm, is located on the border of Suffolk and Norfolk near Beccles and started care farming in April 2010.
A BBC News video report is available to view online. Meanwhile for more information on this project and care farming in the area, go to the Eastern England page.
09/04/2011
Care Farm celebrates grant success
A therapeutic horse riding centre in South East England, which is registered with Care Farming UK as a care farm, is celebrating after being awarded a £60,000 three-year revenue grant.
Horses Helping People, based near Aston Clinton, offers participants the chance to learn horsemanship skills and interact with horses in a peaceful rural setting. Working with a wide range of adults and children from disadvantaged backgrounds and with special needs, the centre focuses on helping people to build trusting partnerships with horses, and to experience a connection with the natural environment.
The centre was one of nine organisations to have been given a share of nearly half a million pounds worth of revenue funding from the Aylesbury Vale Community Chest scheme.
The grant will enable Horses Helping People to extend their work, which already includes young people with behavioural problems, addiction recovery support, people with physical challenges, people with mental health problems and children and adults with autism.
Debbie La-Haye, director of Horses Helping People, said: “It’s a huge boost, not just for Horses Helping People but for equine assisted activities generally, to have the value of therapeutic horsemanship recognised through the commitment of three year funding."
12/03/2011
New Project To Develop Care Farming In Wales
An organisation championing rural health and well-being across the UK has been appointed to lead a project to develop care farming in Wales.
The Institute of Rural Health, based near Newtown, has won a contract from the Welsh Assembly Government's Rural Health Innovation Fund to undertake the work. The project, which runs until July, is being co-ordinated by Dr Fiona Williams, the IRH's research manager. A Project Advisory Group and Steering Committee, representing land-based and industry organisations, those with health and social care remits and the voluntary sector, has already been formed to take the initiative forward.
21/01/2011
Insurance updates
Latest Care Farming UK update regarding Educational Insurance Services
21/01/2011
MBE for Care Farmer
Derbyshire Care Farmer Roger Hosking was awarded an MBE in the new-year’s honours list recognising his work helping disadvantaged youngsters find a better way of life through experience on his free-range egg farm. Read more
All Care Farming UK staff and Partners send congratulations to Roger and indeed to his wife Beryl.
01/12/2010
Big Lottery Success
"Don't give up on your Dreams". One Care Farmer in Wales tells us about the struggle to bring her own dreams to fruition and advises that there is always hope and help at hand. Read how Stacey has now successfully secured Big Lottery Funding to be used for important research into Animal Assisted Therapy and she invites anyone interested to get in touch with her.
Read more
01/10/2010
The Psychosocial Value of Care Farming
Chris Leck MA, MSc from the University of Worcester asks all Care Farmers to participate in helping to develop an evidence base to clarify the value that Care Farms provide.
Read more
01/06/2010
HRH The Prince of Wales acknowledges work of UK’s care farmers.
His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales recently welcomed more than 100 care farmers and their supporters to Highgrove for a lunch reception marking the National Care Farming Initiative’s five-year anniversary.
Read more
19/05/2010
What are the theraputic benefits of working on the land?
Read Sarah Vaughan's report following her online survey which featured on our website in January 2010.
17/05/2010
Personal Care Budgets Seminar Summary
Direct payments, personal budgets and, to a lesser extent, individual budgets are undergoing changes which will have an impact on care farms. A seminar in Sheffield discussed this issue and a summary of the seminar is now available.
Read More