The Children’s Centre is launching the Island’s first ever community farm to create an environment in which children and young people from across the Island can learn about caring for animals and how to grow crops. Based at Wallberry Farm - which is on the Carnane Estate just off the Old Castletown Road in Douglas - the Community Farm will be open to all of the Island’s community and will also become an educational resource focusing on experiential learning. As well as taking part in agricultural and horticultural activities children who visit the farm will take part in workshops and discover how farm machinery is maintained and gain skills in areas such as woodturning and metal work. John Knight, Chief Executive of The Children’s Centre, said: “The Community Farm represents a really exciting step forward for The Children’s Centre and our charitable services. Our initial plans are to establish farming projects to further our work with children, young people and families across our organisation. Within the first year we will be open to other community groups and in time to the wider public. Our Community Farm initiative is part of a European wide movement and it is fitting that the Island can now be represented in this forward thinking group.” The Community Farm will be run by Chrissy Cannell, Farm Development Officer, and Nigel Revill, Farm Activity Worker. Nigel has been part of the charity’s Mobex team for the last six years working with children and young people in the outdoors. He also has experience in farming and is therefore the perfect person to plan and deliver projects on the farm. Nigel gained a National Diploma in Agricultural Subjects at Hadlow College of Agriculture and Horticulture before returning to the Isle of Man and working for 10 years at Barony Estates, rising to the position of Estate Manager. Chrissy has worked at The Children’s Centre for the past year and in her new role she will promote the farm and its benefits throughout the local community and work with the charity’s fundraising team to secure funding to enable development of the project. The Community Farm is currently in project stage. The farm house, outbuildings and land which have been leased are in very good order but there are changes that need to be made. Initial funding has been obtained from the Rank Foundation, the Manx Lottery Trust and the Ann Harrison Charitable Trust, which enabled the project to get off the ground. However, this is a charitable project of The Children’s Centre and will require on-going fundraising alongside - in some cases - a charge of subsidised fees to sustain the initiative. Many local companies have shown interest in helping us develop the Community Farm by providing funding for equipment and by releasing staff to help with manual work. It is also hoped that volunteers will help develop further projects at the farm. The farm recently welcomed its first delivery of livestock - three pigs which have been kindly donated by Penny Bridge Stables in Kirk Michael. More animals will be arriving over the coming months as the project grows and develops. Rebecca McSevney, The Children’s Centre Development Manager, said: “We hope to start working with people on an individual and group basis from May 2011, and plan to open to the public by Spring 2012. Our Farm will be in operation every day of the year, as there will always be a need to care for the animals. Therefore, activities with groups and individuals - working alongside our staff team - will take part every day in some form or another. In the longer term we hope to open specifically to the public on weekends and during the school holidays too.” - ENDS -