Transcript Welcome to the Launch of - Scottish National Rural Network

What is Care Farming?
Debbie Wilcox,
National Care Farming Initiative UK (NCFIUK)
Care Farming in the
UK & Europe
“Growing People’s Possibilities”
What is care farming?
•
Care farming uses commercial farms, woodlands and market gardens
as a base for promoting mental and physical health through normal
farming activity.
•
Care farming is a partnership between farmers, participants and health
& social care agencies.
•
Care farming in the UK now encompasses a wide variety of
enterprises, from commercially minded farms to those pursuing more
social and community objectives.
Who is care farming for..?
People with
• mental health issues and
depression
• learning difficulties
• a drug/alcohol history
• work-related stress
Also
• PPO’s (Prolific and Priority
Offenders)
• Disaffected and excluded
youth
• Homeless
Herefordshire PPO Pilot
•
4 PPO’s (Prolific & Priority Offenders) engaged by West Mercia Police
•
£65 per person per day (£260 per day for the farmer)
•
4 days per week (over £1,000 per week)
•
Income from care farming around £50,000 per year
Economics for Herefordshire Police and
Community…
• PPOs ‘A’ and ‘W’ combined past offence and imprisonment history
has had an approximate cost of £268,512
• Comparable periods before and after joining the PPO Scheme
suggests a saving of £47,741 to the community for ‘A’ and ‘W’.
Benefits for farmers…
• Economic viability and rural regeneration – especially
for smaller farms. Clients can provide extra labour
and an income
• Job satisfaction – seeing people change for the better
through contact with their way of life can deliver
tremendous meaning to a farmer
• Addresses rural isolation
• Expands the value of their knowledge, their farm and
way of life
Benefits for participants
• Connection with nature
• Connection with people
• Connection with meaningful work and a supportive
daily structure
Care farms are not based on an individual’s
limitations but on their potential
Care Farms in Europe
Holland
818
Norway
650
Germany
300
Austria
250
Belgium
140
Also Slovenia, Ireland, Sweden, Poland & Italy
Holland
• Small production farms – mainly dairy or
grassland
• Most clients have learning disabilities or
mental health problems
• 0.9% (818) of all farms are care farming,
fastest growing area of diversification
• Average revenue €73,000 (c.£65k)
Holland – why so successful?
• National Support
Centre for
Agriculture &
Care
• VAT exemption
• The work
activities
National Care Farming Initiative
Our vision:
Thriving farms and landscapes providing social,
educational, therapeutic and development
opportunities
Our mission:
Provide a voice and supportive services for care
farmers, to inspire decision makers and to
develop policies and actions that will support
care farming in the UK
NCFI Achievements
• Given care farming a voice, unified under the banner of NCFI
and have put care farming on the map and in the minds of
policymakers.
• Enabled a network to evolve
• This has led to country/regional initiatives
• We are now a movement!
• Continue to run events and search for funding.
• Launch of new website
NCFI Website
NCFI Website
The Future of UK Care Farming
• Our diversity is our strength
• Look at how CF can fit into current
policies & agendas
• There is no one “right” answer, model
or example of care farming
• What works in one area/country may not
work in another
• Care farming will not suit all farmers
• It took the Netherlands CF movement 10
years to get where it is now!