Welcome to the December update from Growing Care Farming
It's been a very busy autumn for us, with pilot work underway in Yorkshire & Humberside and lots of development work on training courses and resources taking place. We've enjoyed supporting the work of our members and attending events that they have either organised or been represented at, with particular highlights being the Future Roots conference which explored questions of isolation and loneliness among vulnerable rural groups and how health, social care and social prescribing can respond through green care and care farming.
Also, the County Land & Business Association (CLA) annual conference which highlighted work taking place on Longlands Care Farm in Herefordshire. There's a great film which gives a flavour of what happens at Longlands here so grab a Christmas cuppa and take a look!
Training and Resources
Website
Do check out our updated webpages where we now have more information about the Growing Care Farming project but also some case studies and films about care farming. We will be continuing to upload new resources in the new year and do remember that you can find out where UK-based care farms are here.
Training Development
Our online courses will be available to share with you in early 2020, but we have dates in the diary for the first round of some face to face courses running in February and March. These courses have been developed in partnership with Thrive and in consultation with our network of existing care farmers and code assessors. The courses are designed to give prospective, and existing care farmers who wish to diversify and support a new client group, an opportunity to attend hands on training tailored to working with service users with a particular defined need.
These first round of courses are pilots, therefore learners can access the courses for free over this period. In future these courses will become chargeable, albeit at a discounted rate.
February - Yorkshire & Humberside
Care Farming for Mental Health - Monday 17th February
Care Farming for Learning Disability and ASD - Tuesday 18th February
Care Farming: Developing Alternative Provision - Wednesday 26th February
Nurturing Young People with anxiety and depression through Care Farming - Thursday 27th February
The venue for the February courses are yet to be confirmed, but is likely to be the Leeds area.
March/April - South West
Care Farming for Mental Health - Tuesday 3rd March
Care Farming for Learning Disability and ASD - Wednesday 4th March
Care Farming: Developing Alternative Provision - Tuesday 31st March
Nurturing Young People with anxiety and depression through Care Farming - Wednesday 1st April
The venue for these courses will be The GreenHouse, Bedminster, Bristol, BS3 4NA
Full details of how to book your place/s will be forwarded in January.
Regional Engagement
Going Live - Yorkshire & Humberside
Our first regional event took place at Askham Bryan College in York on Tuesday 26th November.
The afternoon was really worthwhile, with around 45 representatives from a wide range of backgrounds (farming, horticulture, health, social care, education, media and the voluntary and community sector) learning more about the Growing Care Farming project, what opportunities there are to engage in this region and hearing more from local care farmers and other interested individuals as to why care farming is so relevant to them.
Delegates had the opportunity to network informally and also worked in smaller groups on some of the important questions surrounding how we develop and grow the care farming sector in Yorkshire & Humberside. Representatives were also asked to vote on key opportunities identified on the day to help prioritise our support moving forward.
We are now very much looking forward to continuing our work in the North East and North West in the spring, before rolling out to other regions across England later in 2020.
We will also be running a national conference in November 2020 so keep your eyes peeled for more details and a date.
A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR FROM ALL THE GCF TEAM!
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