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The Fold Care Farm will close on Friday 23rd December for the Christmas Break and Re-Open on Monday 16th January 2012.
'Growing your own and Natural Living' course in conjunction with Worcester College of Technology
Start Date: Either Monday 16th or Tuesday 17th January 2012 for 11 weeks
People can choose from either the Monday or Tuesday
For more details and to book please contact Community & Adult Learning at Worcester College of Technology on 01905 743480
Come & see what we do! Care Farm Open Days
We do not have any Open Days scheduled at present but if you would like to come and view the Care Farm please contact Will on the numbers below
The Holywell site of The Fold Care Farm is now looking better than ever with a lot of input from our probation group who regularly come on a Wednesday and Thursday. A wide range of vegetables are now spread over the 50 no dig beds and plans to start the permaculture perennial fruit and vegetable garden are not far away. The compost bins are expanding and harvesting is now the top job. We have been donated a second portacabin as a more secure tool shed and a recent grant will help us improve our range of tools and equipment.
On the top site we now have a 'Fork to Fork' training programme running with Worcester College of Technology and herbs and cut flowers are being offered for sale in the Fold.
Autumn plans include creating an indoor workshop space for crafts and making additional raised beds for salads.
Will & all our volunteers welcome visitors interested in seeing what we offer and the huge potential of this site and hope to hear from you with any enquiries.
Will Tooby - 01886 833422 or Kevin Godfrey on 01886 833922
Opening Times: Monday to Friday 9.00am – 4.00pm (Viewing by appointment only)
Telephone:Kevin Godfrey The Care Farm Manager on 01886 833922 or email kevin@thefold.org.uk for any enquiries or to book a visit or taster day
The Fold Care Farm - Giving People A Place To Grow
If you know someone who may benefit from enrolling at The Fold Care Farm then please contact us and arrange a tour.
The Fold Care Farm provides meaningful work for people with particular support needs in a supported environment, growing fresh produce using organic methods. It is a ‘not for profit’ social enterprise.
The benefits for participants are huge and include:
- - Increased confidence, social interaction and group skills
- - Improved physical and mental wellbeing
- - Development of routine, self reliance and a sense of achievement
- - Learning skills in organic husbandry growing vegetables, herbs and cut flowers
- - A freshly prepared healthy Fold lunch each day.
What can it offer?
Personal Development
We consider our participants to be individuals with a wide and diverse range of abilities, not as people labelled with societies’ stigmas. We aim to grow a sense of self-esteem using achievable but appropriately challenging tasks.
Participants are able to work either on a one-to-one basis or in a team, subject to their needs and the skills they need to develop.
The welcoming and informal learning environment plus the community atmosphere of The Fold nurtures a sense of belonging to the greater whole encouraging integration with the wider environment.
This together with learning new skills whilst working alongside other people helps to promote the benefits of work and social reintegration in practice.
It’s good to have something to get you outside. Time flies whilst working in the garden. Every day there is something different worth coming along to. The Fold Garden is a fun and enjoyable way to learn skills and make friends in a healthy way. The rewarding activities and educational experience of being involved in growing food and providing it to the kitchen is a way to begin a lifestyle change on the way to recovery.
Great Potential, You and Us
The Fold was once the heart of a fruit, hop and livestock farm, which diversified into growing plants. The Care Farm utilises the original propagation houses of the nursery, which provides ideal facilities for vocational skills including the growing of plants and vegetables in pots and in the ground. Jobs include taking cuttings and sowing seeds, weeding, watering and harvesting as well as integrated pest management and the principles of organic husbandry. There will be additional opportunities for working with animals and learning green wood-working skills.
The sense of job satisfaction which comes from contributing collaboratively and seeing the process through can help a person in getting back into employment.
The Fold Care Farm is more than just a place to learn work skills – it is about reintegrating the processes of work into wider life.
At The Fold Care Farm participants feel like they are seeing the whole of a work process – in our case from soil to table, and back again. From sewing the seeds, to harvesting the produce, to delivery to the kitchens. Where the produce is turned into healthy & nutritious meals that are served not only to the ecoCafe’s customers but also the Care Farm participants.
