Care farming and Animal Assisted Therapy are taking-off in the UK. Brambles Living Farm will be trading as a Social Enterprise and will be developing in both of these areas.

We believe that the countryside is an ideal place to grow our business. Like us, there are more and more people wanting to live closer to the land, experience the good life, and whilst doing so give something back to the natural world.

We are situated in the middle of Castlemorton Common, which is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with spectacular views over the Malvern Hills and the Severn Valley.

There is an air of safe haven, calmness, quiet and beauty, which naturally leads to a feeling of wellbeing and supports a relaxed way of learning.

The Brambles Special Breeds smallholding breeds Angora and Pygmy Goats, Kune Kune Pigs and specialist breeds of Poultry, along with smaller pets such as Rabbits and Tortoises, and delivers training courses for novice smallholders.

To support our business venture our main principles and values are to:

• Preserve and promote Rare and Special Breeds
• Promote a change in lifestyle, whether you have a large garden or a smallholding
• Provide support and education for beginners and children
• Use our unique environment and ideas to give people with special needs a chance to develop
• Build a range of country style products
• Enhance and promote the local environment and community

In 2008, we ran some trial education days for children with special needs and excluded children, and provided animals into pet farms and centres for people suffering from Dementia.  The results inspired us to continue to progress with our goals.

During the Spring and early summer of 2009 we want to run pilot projects, development courses and develop our environment, so we now want to make contact with professional people and commissioners, or directly with carers, who are looking for new and different ways to help the people under their care.

If you are involved in running an organisation and are considering what working on a Care Farm or Living with animals could do for the people in your care, we'd like to talk with you about helping vulnerable people such as:

• Those with learning difficulties, Autism, Dementia and Brain Injuries
• Disaffected & excluded youth
• The homeless
• People with work related stress
• Those with mental health issues, depression, anxiety and phobias
• People with emotional and behavioural problems

Come to our Open Days - Please call us to confirm a time and numbers of people

To give you a chance to see our location, talk about what we are doing and give us feedback about how we can tailor the experience and curriculum to meet your client’s needs we are running open days over the next few weeks.

• Thursday 14th May       
• Wednesday 20th May
• Thursday 21st May
• Wednesday 3rd June
• Thursday 4th June

Sessions will run between 10:30-12:30 and 13:30-15:30 on each day. Each session will last for about 2 hours and will consist of a brief presentation, a walkabout with hands-on experience of what your clients would see, touch and do, and then a summary session to get feedback and discuss opportunities.

If you would like to visit us or talk about how we can help, please don't wait...call Julie or Alan to see if we can come up with a plan that would suit both of us.

Keep an eye on this website www.livingfarm.co.uk.  We will be adding more information as we develop our skills through experience, build our knowledge base, and focus ideas, methods and schemes.