Here at Caring For Life, our therapeutic daytime projects are a great way for people to enjoy friendship, company and learn new skills. Mostly people who join the farm projects come here to get some time out from their often chaotic and disruptive home lives, make new friends and just be able to have a few hours enjoying the peace and beauty of the farm setting.
Each time a new beneficiary joins us we try and adapt to their individual needs and ambitions, resulting in them often flourishing in ways we couldn’t have imagined. We have found this approach to be a great benefit to those who come to us, allowing them to gain confidence and skills but within a safe and loving environment.
One of our beneficiaries who has been with us many years is a very important and valuable member of the Equestrian team. He has been involved with the horses here since we had our very first shire horses and is a huge asset to the team. He is also able to bless new beneficiaries that join the project with his precious, caring nature, helping them to make friends and get to know the horses.
Another one of our beneficiaries joined us and spent several years on our farm projects, and is now part of the barista team in the Granary. He is someone who would struggle with the pressures of a more commercial environment, but is flourishing here, because he is surrounded by supportive staff members and is an absolute asset to the team.
Others who come to us manage eventually to move on to employment after spending a few months with us. Although the vast majority of those coming to us for support won’t manage to move on to further employment, we still try and enable them to achieve any hopes and ambitions they have. When appropriate we will work with individuals to help them gain more experience in an area of interest away from the farm, in order to give them more opportunities of employment in their chosen area.
We thank the Lord for the opportunity to engage people with work to do, and above all, for the time and space to share something of the Lord with them. Seeing the change in people from being demotivated and feeling aimless to developing their hopes and ambitions is truly wonderful.
Jonathan Parkinson.