The Chronicle, Spring 2019

ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE 14

Nestling between the Boat House and the river in a particularly picturesque corner of school grounds sits the delightful Fair Close Community Farm where the charity FarmAbility hosts regular sessions for young people with learning difficulties, often also with autism. As part of our volunteering and outreach programme, Teddies pupils join in some of these sessions and help out with the sheep, pick fruit in the orchard and generally keep everything shipshape. Paula Diaz Rogado, Head of Community Engagement, talked to FarmAbility Programme Leader Raul Ospina Bonilla, and young FarmAbility co-farmer, Harry, about the benefits of the scheme. the Fair Close Community Farm? Raul: For me, the best thing about our time at the Farm is that the young people from FarmAbility spend time with other young people their own age. This helps them in so many ways – they pick up basic farming skills, of course, but more importantly, they develop invaluable social skills. By bringing together the young people from FarmAbility and the young people from Teddies, we are doing our bit to make sure they understand each other better, not just right now, but on into their adult lives. Paula to young co-farmer, Harry: What kind of stuff do you do when you come to the farm, Harry? Harry: We collect wood at the Farm and then sometimes we make things out of the wood. I made a letter S because my surname begins with S. FarmAbility Paula: How do the young people from FarmAbility benefit from coming to

FarmAbility Programme Leader Raul Ospina Bonilla and colleague with Maxi Madrian and Zak Leigh

Paula to Raul: How do Teddies pupils benefit from coming to the Farm? In much the same way – it’s about bringing the community together. We are bringing people from different areas of society together. So the Teddies guys get to see that there are all sorts of people in the world, and that life is not easy for everyone. I hope they realise that in many ways they are very similar to the young people they meet at the Farm, but that people have different skills and different abilities. What I love the most about you guys coming here is that we can become friends. Your guys befriend our guys and our guys befriend your guys and we can develop relationships. That’s what I like about it. For instance, Harry loves going to the cinema (Harry: ‘You can say that again!’) and I remember one particular occasion when he and Lola started talking about films they had seen, and then they moved on to talking about the kind of music they liked. Despite different abilities and backgrounds, the young people find common ground here. How did you end up working here? I come from a farming background in Columbia. For many years I’ve been a carer for my Mum who has schizophrenia, and I also set up a voluntary project locally that supports people with mental health issues to benefit from farm-based work. In 2013, I started volunteering with FarmAbility in Wytham, and became employed as Programme Leader later that year. An important part of my role has been to develop partnerships with local farms

where I can take small groups of co-farmers from FarmAbility. We’re determined to create more opportunities for our co- farmers to find purposeful roles in their local community where they’re valued and appreciated. Farms offer a rich range of outdoor activities, and we’ve been warmly welcomed in many places, from large dairy farms to small community farms like Fair Close. Being outside is the really powerful element of my work. You have your own devils in your head. I’ve got my own devils in my head. If we are indoors, we almost push towards each other. When you are outside you can go one way and your mind can go another way. Space and fresh air can help all of us in so many different ways. Yes, that makes everyone happy really, it doesn’t matter who you are. The FarmAbility programme combines the valuable ingredients of the farming environment (nature, animals, and purposeful activities) with an approach that supports people to progress through to meaningful occupation. FarmAbility participants (co-farmers) are actively involved throughout the year in vegetable growing, orchard management, horse care, animal husbandry, woodwork, an organic egg enterprise, and a range of seasonal farm tasks. Find out more at www.farminspirationtrust.org/ farmability