The Community Farm is hosting a Christmas Craft Market on December 15 with lots of fantastic festive activities for all the family. The farm - based at Wallberry Farm on the Carnane Estate off the Old Castletown Road in Douglas - will welcome visitors from 11am to 3pm with a range of stalls featuring craft activities plus lunch and refreshments provided by the WI. Admission to the event is free. Those travelling to the event by car are asked to leave their vehicles at Kewaigue School car park. There is no fee for parking and there will be a free shuttle bus service from the car park to The Community Farm every 15 minutes.
The Christmas Craft Market will be a chance to buy unique gifts made by members of The Community Farm’s ‘Cultivation’ social enterprise project. Products will be on sale that have been made by young people not in education, employment, or training. The Cultivation project provides young people with work experience that helps to build their self-confidence and improve their employment prospects. The Cultivation project stall will include Christmas stockings which can be personalised.
As well the festive events the Christmas Craft Market will provide an opportunity for everyone to see the variety of animals on the farm including pigs, rabbits, guinea pigs, the farm dog and farm cats and Juan the donkey. However, all of the animals will be inside for the winter.
Chrissy Cannell, Farm Development Officer, said the Community Farm team are looking forward to welcoming visitors. She said:
“We’ve had a great year at the Community Farm and we wanted to end 2012 by welcoming visitors for a festive celebration. Our open days earlier in the year were very popular and we’re hoping the Christmas Craft Market will attract people who have already been to see us, but also some new visitors who can find out about the Community Farm and pick up some unique gifts. It will be a great afternoon for all the family to enjoy and all funds raised will go directly to support the Community Farm.”
Since the Community Farm project began in January 2011 staff and volunteers have been creating an environment in which children and young people from across the Island can learn, from practical experience, the skills needed to care for animals and to grow crops. The farm also has workshops where children learn skills that will be put to good use in maintaining and repairing farm tools and machinery. The Community Farm is a charitable project run by The Children’s Centre and relies on donations and voluntary workers supporting the project.
To book stalls at the Christmas Craft Market contact Chrissy Cannell, Farm Development Officer, on 610540 or by emailing farm@thechildrenscentre.org.im.
