Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none

Today is the anniversary of Shakespeare’s death (and possibly of his birth as well). Above is one of my favourite quotes (taken from All’s well that ends well). It could almost be a slogan for the last 18 month’s on the farm: Our remit is to love and care for everyone we come across, not everyone is trustworthy but everyone is worthy of love… with that as our aim we will do wrong to none (hopefully!) – what a philosophical way to start this update.

There have been times over the last year or so when it seemed like we might never get to this point. A year ago I was saying that we would be open in September. That slipped to being January (who’s crazy idea was that I wonder!). Finally we agreed on April and I am so pleased we did – sun shining (sometimes), warmer weather (slightly), a much better choice. We didn’t make a big fuss over our opening, we just got on with caring for people, but it was an amazing feeling to have reached that milestone in our on-going story. Rest assured, we will mark the opening with more of a ‘splash’ at some point in the summer.

I can’t move on from talking about the opening without saying that we are really grateful to everyone who has contributed – with time, resources, advice and encouragement – to help us get where we are now. Thank you all.

The ‘Service-User Centre’ is well underway and it won’t be long before we can start using it as the main hub for the day’s activities. The building is almost unrecognisable from the dilapidated old stable it was 6 months ago. The ceiling is being painted – and some of the emulsion is actually going on the wood not just on the painters!

Planting is going really well. The polytunnel has been so successful we are now starting to plant some of the veg out into our newly built raised beds… in fact the polytunnel has been such a success that we have bought another one and the footings have already been dug (great news for everyone who was involved in that job last year!!).

Construction of the frame will start on Saturday 30 April. and if any of you used to play with meccano you’ll love this one. Think of it as a giant play house and everything will fall into place (especially with the wonderful Andrew G at the helm). I remember well the great feeling of achievement last year when we were constructing and erecting the huge skeleton… its not something you get the chance to do very often.

Workparty days

Lots of things get done when we have a workparty. Recently we have been insulating the walls of the service-user centre and then putting up plasterboard. We have created a herb garden and made and hung some new barn doors (see below). We have also consumed over 200 cups of tea and coffee, eaten over 60 bacon and sausage baps (thank you Den) and some of us have walked miles around the farm and experienced the developing nature trail.

Someone said to me recently “You have said a number of times that we can come along and just chat or have a cup of tea but I didn’t believe you. I thought I’d have to do some work. Now I’ve been along I realise that you meant it and there was no pressure on me to work at all.”

Please come along next weekend, we would really love to see you. Some of you will be able to help practically and some won’t but the fun is simply being together (I mean it). We look forward to seeing you on Saturday 30 April if you can make it.

Thanks

Geoff

Never a truer word…

Having just completed another brilliant Saturday work party I wanted to share this sign which was recently sent to me by Rob, one of the other trustees.

I say thank you on just about every one of these updates but I don’t think it can ever be said too many times… thank you.

The weather at the weekend has been magnificent, and this is only the start of Spring! What a year we have to look forward to.

Everyone who came enjoyed themselves (apart from the pigeons who we hope are now going to find a new place to shelter). A highly dedicated team of intrepid people not only managed to get them to leave the barn where they have been living (and pooing) for many years, but they also (we hope) fixed roof tiles and blocked holes (everywhere) so that the ‘lovely’ little creatures can’t return… watch this space (they certainly are!!

The work continued at a pace in the Stable (the soon to be ‘Service-User Centre’) as the insulation was put on the walls and plasterboard fixed into position. We also gained a rooflight in the old hay loft. We will not have this room quite ready for our opening on 11 April but we won’t be far away.

The other great job was that the large barn was cleaned out (beautifully) now that the hay has gone and we have some space back. Thank you all.

Saturday 16 April

The Easter holidays will be over, back to work or school… but… the sun will be shining, friends will be gathering and doing things together. There will be food, drink (well, tea and coffee) and lots of laughter (and some work maybe). Yes, we have another, not to be missed, workparty.

Please come, if you can, on Saturday 16 April. We would really love to see you.

Thanks

Geoff

We are delighted to announce we have bagged £12,000 from the Tesco Bags of Help initiative.

The supermarket teamed up with Groundwork to launch its Bags of Help initiative, which saw grants of £12,000, £10,000 and £8,000 – all raised from the 5p bag levy – being awarded to environmental and greenspace projects.

Pathways has been awarded First prize of £12,000

The results have been announced and we will now begin work on bringing our Nature Trail to life.

Over 4,500 groups up and down the country applied for grants from the scheme. These were whittled down to three in each of Tesco’s regions. To be a winner is therefore a wonderful achievement.

“We are so grateful to everyone that voted for us. As this was a local campaign it is gratifying to think that the local community have endorsed us with such tremendous support, thank you.”

Caroline Silke, Head of Community at Tesco, said: “Bags of Help has been a fantastic success. We have been overwhelmed by the response of our customers and the feedback has been brilliant. We can’t wait to see the money being put to use bringing these projects to life.”

For more information please visit: http://www.tesco.com/carrier-bags/

Meet Geoffrey

This is Geoffrey (and his mum). He is two days old, he is a Golden Guernsey and he is adorable.

As the name suggests, their coats are golden with hues ranging from pale blond to deep bronze. They are smaller than most other goats but they are very docile and very friendly – perfect for a care farm.

We had our first visit a few days ago and have booked this little fella for when he is weened (which will be in a couple of months time).

The next job is to find him some female company so watch this space for some more cute photos as we search high and low to increase the Pathways herd… being with these little creatures is a tough job but somebody has to do it.

Could this be the start of Spring?

The rain has stopped long enough for the mud to be starting to dry out and give us the chance to prepare some of the ground for planting out. It seems to have been a long and very, very wet winter but when the sun shines (even just a bit) and a bunch of highly enthusiastic people get spades and rakes in their hands, things happen – landscapes get altered – hope rises.

This area – the bit in front of the polytunnel, was beautifully prepared in the autumn. The the rain started falling… and falling… and falling. The puddles were so big and the soil contained so much clay that streams were cascading straight over the surface and into the polytunnel (and beyond). We therefore needed to put in some sort of drainage. This required Jakey and his JCB, a drainage pipe and a lot of pebbles.

The process was effective but it did mean that the beautifully prepared ground was decimated with great tyre tracks and deep indentations. That is how it stayed for a number of months until the dryer weather allowed us to go back over it… there were only a couple of comments along the lines of: “Haven’t I done this before” or “Is this deja vu”. But it will all be worth it in a few months time when this little corner of the farm is awash with colourful plants and wonderful flower beds.

Thank you to all involved.

Mission Impossible

Meet Matt. Matt is our resident builder. Without Matt I really don’t know how much progress we would have made in the last year or so. He is highly talented, unbelievably patient, a great teacher of his art and so generous with his time. What most people don’t know about Matt is that he hunts aliens in his spare time!

Some people might think that this get-up is just to spray the stable block with a woodworm treatment but we quickly realised that he is actually a ghost buster.

Seriously though, at the end of a very long day, laying floors, putting in electrics, fixing roofs and making doorways, Matt still had the strength (and the enthusiasm) to strap on this heavy load and attack the beams and the old trough. What a star… two weeks later and the smell is almost gone!

For another chance to join us for some fun and to help with vital, last minute preparations before we open up in a couple of weeks, please join us if you can this Saturday, 2 April.

Stop Press

I am thrilled to announce that we won the Tesco tokens award. We are so grateful to everyone that put their little red coins into our slot. The award means that we will soon be receiving £12,000 towards the nature trail: picnic tables, bird hides, fences and styles.

Can you imaging what a boost this is to everyone involved and what a difference it will make to the whole look and feel of the farm in general. In future updates I will publish some shots of the work we will be doing and I will let you all know when the trail will be officially open for visitors. How great will that be?

Another piece of great news – we have sold the hay. By this evening most of it has been taken from our store and early on Saturday morning the rest will go. It was very exciting when we gathered in all those bales, an historic day in the life of the farm, but is almost exciting to see it go… the circle of life (well, sort of!)

Lastly, if you are free and you would like to help us on Saturday 2 April please come along. If you haven’t been over for a few weeks (or months), don’t be shy, we would really love to see you even if you just want to take a look around. Please come.

Thanks

Geoff

5000+

I can remember being so excited and writing about us clocking up 1000 volunteer hours. When we hit the 2000 hour mark we were all thrilled and amazed, what an achievement that was… I can hardly believe the total now (I guess the number at the top of this article gives the game away) – we have gone past 5000 hours (5184 to be precise). That equates to almost £40,000 at minimum wage rate! £40,000 that we have not had to get funding for.

These figures are staggering and they don’t even include all the time spent by the wonderful people who run our charity shop (and help pay for what we do on the farm) or the professional services we have received free of charge.

Well done to everyone involved, even if you have only ever spent an hour with us, we appreciate your help, skill and support. Without you we would not be where we are now. We appreciate you all so much.

The result of all this work is that we are almost ready to open our gates officially and start the work we were set up to do, namely, care for vulnerable people in a safe environment.

Of course, we have already been caring for people and established a community where everyone knows that they are welcome, they are encouraged and they are valued. Pathways has become a great place for meeting new people and establishing new friendships. Here are just some of the notes I have received in the last few weeks: “What a privilege it is to be on the farm and spend time with some of the nicest people I’ve ever met” “Thank you, my husband loves being on the farm, he is like a new man” “I have had such a great day, I can’t wait to come back next week”.

Comments like these make every one of those 5000 hours worthwhile and I want to pass on the tributes because it’s you that have earned them.

The stable conversion

The old stable was one of the last barns to be worked on, probably because it was in such a bad state of repair and needed so much work. However, in order to have a room dedicated solely to our service-users when we open in April, it will be the first building to be completely transformed. We have finished clearing the old debris, rubbed down and repaired floors, walls and ceilings. We have insulated and laid new floors on ground level and in the hay loft. We have put in a staircase and battened the walls. Next we will put in new electrics, windows, doors and a kitchen and put up the wall panels.

This great old building will then be ready as a service-user’s common room and a classroom or meeting room. The photos above show the before and the now… I can’t wait to welcome the first people into the finished space in a few weeks time. A fantastic achievement.

Cefas day

On Friday 11 March we hosted a corporate volunteering day for a small (but highly select) team from Cefas. I was rather concerned after we had set the date as the weather was awful for a couple of weeks and the farm had started to become a very muddy quagmire rather than the normally very pleasant pastural landscape we know and love… I shouldn’t have worried as the day was stunning and bathed in sunshine.

The photos show a couple of the projects we completed: a rather lovely weaved fence was erected and one gate was removed (which involved a huge effort to dig out a gate post that had been cemented in place! – see below) whilst another gate was fixed in position.

All in all, a lovely day with lovely people and something tangible to show for it. Thank you guys.

Postscript

The Tesco voting is now finished but we don’t yet know the result. I’ll let you know how it went in my next update but thank you to everyone who was able to use their little red tokens on our behalf.

We have sold some hay but still have plenty more, if you know of anyone who wants a few bales (£3.50 each or £30 for 10) just put them in touch with me.

Lastly, if you are not doing anything important and you would like to help us continue the preparations for opening in April, please join us this Saturday (19th March) anytime between 10 and 4.

Thanks

Geoff

Leap Year report

As this day only exists once every four years I couldn’t resist sending out another update, sorry that it is so soon after the last one – exciting though isn’t it?

We have just planted 15 fruit trees in our orchard
This is another historic event in the life of the Care Farm and, over the next few years, as these trees grow and mature, lots of people will benefit from the joy of harvesting fruit as well as eating it and maybe drinking its juice… ‘Pathways Perry’ has a ring to it don’t you think?

These wonderful trees are all local, traditional varieties and have been donated by Paul Read and the Suffolk Traditional Orchard Group to whom we are very grateful.

Traditional orchards often have a variety of habitats which are not only enjoyable for people but also make havens for wildlife, encouraging the presence of mammals, birds and invertebrates and allowing mosses, lichens and wildflowers to flourish. We look forward to nurturing these young (yet old) trees in anticipation of long summer days in the future when visitors can enjoy the beauty and the balmy fragrances of this lovely space.

Every corner of the farm…

Last Saturday was stunning, the weather, although a little chilly, was bright and sunny and, having had a few dry days, the ground was starting to look more like a field than a bog.

There was some highly skilful floor laying and batten fixing going on in the Stable block as we prepare the space to become a lounge/common room for service-users. There were two fires on the go in adjoining fields and the dedicated graft (orchard term again) of a lot of people, young and not so young, meant that we managed to clear some enormous piles of cut-down bushes and brambles. Finally, a new skill was added to the Pathways repertoire – hedge laying. Two ‘old’ friends of mine travelled up from Kent (with their three ridiculously large dogs) and started work on the hedge at the rear of the Yarmouth Road houses. It will take a while before it is totally effective but it is great to have made a start.

We have another day of work and fun lined up for (Saturday 11th March). The weather is getting better all the time so please join us if you can.

Tesco voting

The voting is now underway at Tesco. Pathways are delighted to be a recipient of Tesco’s Bags of Help initiative and, if you get one of their red chips and vote for us we could be awarded up to £12,000.
You can vote for us at these stores:
Oulton Broad Express
Southwold Queen Street Express
Lowestoft 1 (London Road North)
Lowestoft 2 (Superstore – Leisure Way)
Beccles

Voting continues until 6 March (only this week!) and the votes cast will decide who receives the £12,000, £10,000 and £8,000 awards.

PLEASE vote, please make lots of trips to Tesco between now and 6th… don’t just bulk buy do it in bits… every time you buy you can get a chip!

Please pass this on, tell everyone you know – tell people you don’t know! put it on Facebook, Tweet – tell them all that PATHWAYS NEEDS THEM this week.

Thanks – hope to see you on Saturday 11 March.

Geoff

STOP PRESS – Tesco Voting
(27 February – 6 March)

As most of you will know, shops have had to charge 5p for their plastic bags… What an outrage… what a rip-off… NO – what a great way to raise money for charity! All of those 5ps have been collected and charities all over the country will soon start to benefit.

Tesco will be awarding three community groups and projects in our region grants of £12,000, £10,000 and £8,000 – all raised from the 5p bag charge.

Pathways are delighted to be a recipient of Tesco’s Bags of Help initiative. You can vote for us at these stores:
Oulton Broad Express
Southwold Queen Street Express
Lowestoft 1 (London Road North)
Lowestoft 2 (Superstore – Leisure Way)
Beccles

Voting opens in store on 27 February and continues until 6 March. The votes cast will decide who receives the £12,000, £10,000 and £8,000 awards. Voting chips will be given out in store and customers vote by placing chips in the boxes provided.

An award like this is really big news for us and we are incredibly grateful for the chance to compete… PLEASE vote, please make lots of trips to Tesco between 27the and 6th… if you need food on 25th or 26th please hold on and go shopping on 27th instead (only joking – maybe!). Once you have bought what you need on 27th please use the rest of the week to stock up – I hear that we are expecting terrible snow storms after 6 March and we won’t be able to leave our homes – we all need to start hoarding food supplies. (Please don’t take this seriously, I don’t want to start a panic-buying riot.)

Finally, please pass this on, tell your friends, neighbours, relations, put it on Facebook, tell the people who live down the road that you don’t yet talk to… tell them all that PATHWAYS NEEDS THEM!

Never – has so much – been achieved – by so few…

Last Saturday was another amazing day. Some days I am overwhelmed by how much gets done. All this week I have been showing people the new rooms we are creating in the old stable and the pig enclosure we are creating. At one point, whilst feeding the bonfire, someone commented “I didn’t realise it was raining till I came away from the fire”. The work-rate and the friendly atmosphere was just so great.

If you couldn’t make it please don’t despair… You have another chance to join the fun! (this Saturday, 27th February) we will all be there again, building up, cutting down, burning… having fun. We would love you to join us.

Geoff

The adventure goes on…

When I show people around the farm for the first time they often say ‘I hope you are keeping a record of what you have done’. I tell them that I’ve been taking photos and video since we started – it means I can get out of doing most of the hard work!

It is absolutely vital that we have a clear vision for where we are going and what we want to achieve but it is also very helpful, and highly encouraging, to look back and see what we have managed to accomplish this far. If you click on the photo above you will be able to view the latest video showing some of the changes we have done together… even I found myself saying: ‘I’d forgotten that it was like that…’

If the link doesn’t work for any reason please try this: https://youtu.be/iv1_UReU-vI

Like last month, I want you to know what others say about their experience of the care farm so here are some words from a couple of our co-workers:

“I tried to think of what to write but I could only come up with three words: ‘Saved my life’.” (M)

“This project is uniquely special and I feel so lucky to be part of it with some of the nicest people I have ever met. My confidence and happiness has grown so much too.” (S)

We are already making a difference in the lives of some very dear people. With your help we will soon to be open for more days each week and make an even greater impact on even more lives.

Wind!

I drove home last night through winds that I’m sure reached record speeds (well, close to anyway). At one point I wondered how the trees were still standing and then I thought ‘How is the polytunnel going to get on with this barrage?’.

I needn’t have worried. It was still looking as good as ever this morning. What a testimony to its design and also to the skill of Andrew and his team(s) who masterminded its construction.

Watching the video above reminded me of the hours/days/weeks of toil and skill to get it up. For the few of us who were around when it was delivered, even getting the package off the lorry was an ordeal… but well worth it. What a blessing it has been and a wonderful refuge when the weather is a bit iffy.

Hay for sale

The sale of hay is on-going. We have good quality hay, baled, stored and ready for collection. If you want some or know anyone else who does please get in touch on 07711 055898.

What are you doing on Saturday 20 and 27 February?

The work parties at the end of January were incredibly productive. We finished ripping out the old floor in the stable block and not only laid a new one but also built and erected a staircase up to the old hay loft. The aim of the next two workparties (20th and 27th February) will be to get as much of the renovation work done as possible in that barn so that we can start using it as a base for our future service-users. There are lots of jobs to be done from skilful ones to rather less skilful. Please don’t rule yourself out. No matter what your ability, we would love you to join us.

At the end of a workday it is impossible to leave the site without looking around and seeing what we have achieved – either on the day or just in general. It is such a rewarding feeling so please reward yourself and come along. A great time will be had by all.

Geoff

This is the year

We are not ready just yet but we are well on the way… The farm has been through quite a transformation since October 2014 when we took possession. A number of you will remember the condition of the site back then and have lived through the transformation with us – what a fifteen months! We can’t start the new year without saying how overwhelmed and grateful we are for everything that has been achieved. THANK YOU.

The weather over the last couple of months has been a little damp and we have been concentrating mostly on the buildings. The new floor in the old dairy is a work of art and we are so grateful for the hours spent removing old concrete, breaking up hardcore and creating the new base, then mixing and laying the new cement… a special thanks should go to Rob B who threw himself into this beyond the call of duty! Tragically, I was at a wedding that weekend and missed all the hard work (fun). I did though spend time (between eating and drinking) thinking about everyone!

I am keen to let others share about their experience of the care farm so here are some thoughts from a couple of our co-workers:

“I have found the farm very beneficial to my wellbeing as I am now retired, it gives me a sense of purpose and it’s a place where I have made a circle of friends whom I see on a regular basis.” (J)

“A days physical work is so satisfying and knowing what we are working towards is so inspiring. Working with like-minded people and socialising on that level is very rewarding and the project has greatly enhanced my life. The project is very personal to me and my family.” (C)

As I said above, we are not ready to open just yet but we are already making a difference in the lives of some very dear people. With your help we hope to be open for more days each week after Easter and make an even greater impact on even more lives.

Christmas excess

I read recently that, on average, adults in the UK put on 5lb over the Christmas holidays. I’m sure that doesn’t apply to any of you but, apart from a couple of wintery walks, we may not have done as much physical activity as usual. Do not panic, there is a chance to put all of that behind us and get those muscles active again… and I’m not talking about one of those lonely, personal training regimes where you put on headphones, stare at a pop video and pound out miles whilst blanking out the real world… We have devised a way of being together with mutual support and encouragement, as much tea as you can drink and burn off those eccess calories. ‘Tell me how?’ I hear you cry.

We are starting our workparties again… hurray! The next two Saturdays (23rd and 30th January) will see us partying away to our hearts content – and we would love you to join us. If you are around for all or part of the day please feel free to come along and join the fun – the kettle is almost always on and there is always a warm welcome, no matter how cold it is.

Looking back at the achievements of the last year or so is humbling but, at the start of this new year, we can also look forward to the next phase of our development and the projected start date in April.

l can’t stop being grateful for all the hard work and dedication of our amazing supporters. There will always be a lot to do but the anticipation of opening up and the reality of starting the real work of helping vulnerable people is almost tangible. Thank you all so much.

We still have hay for sale

The sale of hay is on-going. We have good quality hay, baled, stored and ready for collection. If you want some or know anyone else who does please get in touch on 07711 055898.

What better way to spend a Saturday?

There is nothing good on TV, all the bargains have now gone from the shops and if you are going out for the evening there really can be no better way of getting ready for a good night out than to work alongside others towards a great cause… please join us on Saturday 23rd and/or Saturday 30th January for a day of fun, work, fun, tea, fun, chat… and fun.

Geoff

After the rain comes refreshed hope

I have just read a news article which stated that this November was the greyest on record with less than 9 hours of sun in some places! Lack of sunshine is a key factor for many people and it can seriously effect one’s wellbeing. On the east coast however, despite the generally cloudy (and wet) autumn, we have had rather more than 9 hours of sun lately and during one very mixed afternoon I was able to snap the incredible rainbow above.

There is something magical about a rainbow, it oozes hope… it suggests greater things ahead and turns a miserable downfall into a thing of beauty.

I loved this one. It encompassed the whole farm – and it was a double! It certainly gave me an even stronger sense of being in the right place at the right time.

In the last update I said I wanted to get a few people to write their own accounts of ‘A day on the farm’. Here is an extract of a message I received recently: “It’s amazing how a day on the farm with all the fantastic people that are involved can work such wonders! Just want to say thank you for including me with a project so uniquely special that I feel so lucky to be a part of it with some of the nicest people I have ever met. My confidence and happiness has grown so much.”

The shop in Kirkley

There is not long left until Christmas so please call in to the shop (see above) to pick up those really special, last-minute, gifts… then, once the festive season is over why not let us have all the excess presents you get so that we can recycle them and boost farm funds even more! This kind of recycling is the way to go.

We have just topped 3000 volunteer hours at the farm! To quote the late David Coleman “This is quite remarkable”. Can you imagine the cost if we had not received such amazing support? Even paying minimum wage would have cost us over £20,000.

Words cannot do justice to the hard work and dedication of all of you wonderful people. To look back at photos from a year ago and see the improvements we’ve made is humbling. Thank you all so much.

But those hours are not all… the fantastic ‘Pathways Care Farm Shop’ team has clocked up over 1000 hours as well. This is a huge effort and has not only blessed the farm with much needed income but has also touched the lives of countless people in one of the poorest parts of our town.

Last week the shop team enjoyed a Christmas meal out together and celebrated their first year of raising funds – and a lovely time was had by all (see below).

We still have hay for sale

We have a lot of hay to sell, all baled, stored and ready for collection. If you want some or know anyone else who does please get in touch on 07711 055898.

Final work party of 2015

The problem with Christmas dinner is that we tend over indulge and by the time the turkey is dished up we are not hungry enough to truly enjoy it… the easy solution to this age-old problem is to work up a really good appetite!

It is a well-known fact that outdoor, physical activity is one of the very best ways to increase appetite. We have therefore worked out that, by having a really good work day (fun day) at the farm just a few days before Christmas, everyone will be in a much better condition to fully enjoy the sacrifice that these lovely birds have made on our behalf.

If you agree and can think of nothing better to do with your time on Saturday 19 December please join us for a day of fun, work, fun, tea, fun, chat… and fun.

We hope you can join us (you will have fun).

Geoff