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2010 Press releases
Sunday 11 April 2010
May Gurney cash lifts Norfolk Care Farm off the ground
A new care farm in south Norfolk which will offer therapeutic, training and work experience opportunities for adults and children facing difficulties has won vital funding to get it off the ground, thanks to Norwich-based May Gurney.
Clinks Care Farm in Toft Monks will welcome its first farm helpers in June after receiving £3,500 from The May Gurney Foundation to pay for vital safety equipment and insurance. The first of its kind in the area, the care farm adopts a concept popular in the Netherlands, and will provide a place for disadvantaged and unemployed people to gain hands-on experience of working on a farm. Those set to benefit include young people at risk of exclusion from education, people with learning difficulties, autism, mental health problems and dementia. The farm will take referrals from Norfolk and Suffolk health and social care organisations and prescriptions through local GP’s.
The project will teach skills, such as growing fruit and vegetables, caring for livestock including chickens and sheep, working with machinery and handling the day-to-day farm management. It aims to get people into work, access further education or move on to other volunteer placements while boosting confidence, self-belief and improving physical and mental wellbeing.
All produce on the Toft Monks farm will be grown naturally and sold locally in Norfolk and Suffolk. Clinks Care Farm will also aim to sell the produce via Norfolk & Suffolk Food Direct, another social enterprise.
Clinks Care Farm will be managed as a social enterprise by Dutchman Doeke Dobma and his wife Iris, who have lived in East Anglia for six years. They were inspired by the 850-strong care farm network in their home country, which is accessed by more than 10,000 people each week and fully supported by the Dutch Government.
Doeke says that without May Gurney’s donation, the concept would have struggled to get off the ground. Now South Norfolk has its first care farm, he hopes other farmers in the area will realise the potential for agriculture to aid social inclusion and tackle rural deprivation. “We are really excited about getting the care farm in place. We hope it will inspire other farmers in Norfolk and Suffolk to follow our direction. The funding has made a huge difference and means we can get health and safety systems in place immediately, ready to welcome our first volunteers in June.”
Also benefitting from the latest round of donations from May Gurney are young homeless men and people with dyslexia via grants made to The St Edmunds Society and INDIGO Foundation in Norwich.
The St Edmunds Society, which provides accommodation for homeless men under the age of 30, has received £3,000 to help residents gain skills in plastering, tiling, painting and decorating. The money will be used to convert a garage, hire a tutor and launch the new project which expects to train up to 75 young people a year.
And the INDIGO Foundation, a one-stop centre to help people with dyslexia, has received £2,500 to increase the amount of tuition sessions delivered to unemployed people living with the condition.
The May Gurney Foundation was set up last year, and has set aside £300,000 to help charities and organisations get people back into work, education or to increase their confidence. Last year £7,500 worth of donations were made to MOVEON east in Norwich and Community Action Norwich. The Foundation has been set up in partnership with Norfolk Community Foundation, an organisation that manages the grant application process on May Gurney’s behalf, making the funding possible.
Janine Daynes Chair of the May Gurney Foundation, said the company felt it was important to give back to local communities and help people back to work, especially in tough economic times. “Our foundation supports community based charities and good causes which help young people and the long-term unemployed get into work. It focuses on improving opportunities for people in terms of education, self help, health and wellbeing as well as supporting local environment issues.
“The care farm in Toft Monks is a fantastic concept. I’m delighted that our funding means it can get started. I’m looking forward to seeing and perhaps even tasting the fruits of their labour!”
May Gurney will donate £100,000 per year until 2011 to charities across the UK. Another £15,000 has been made available to match fund employees’ fund raising activities for local and national charities.
If you are a Norfolk based charity, and would like to find out if you are eligible for May Gurney’s funding please contact Slava Puttock at Norfolk Community Foundation on (01603) 623958.
-Ends-
Notes to Editors
About May Gurney
May Gurney is an infrastructure services company. We are committed to helping our clients in the public and regulated sectors deliver sustainable improvements to front-line services across the UK.
We make sure that the road, utility, rail and waterways networks and public buildings are well maintained and that household waste is collected, managed and recycled. These essential maintenance services, which are based on long-term contracts, are the ones that are visible to local communities, and make a very real difference to the quality of life. They keep the country running.
Our track record in delivering great operational performance has built long-term relationships with our clients, who rely on us to support and anticipate their current needs and improve future outcomes. This focus on excellent customer service drives May Gurney.
And we never forget that our clients trust us to engage with their customers - communities and individuals - on their behalf. It's a responsibility that everyone at May Gurney takes very seriously.
May Gurney. Delivering essential services for our communities.
For further details about May Gurney please go to www.maygurney.co.uk
For more information about this release please contact Andrew Slater, Tel: 01603 727385, email aslater@maygurney.co.uk or Hannah Freeman at Tribe PR, Tel: 01603 417722, email hannah@tribepr.com .
Clinks Care Farm in Toft Monks will welcome its first farm helpers in June after receiving £3,500 from The May Gurney Foundation to pay for vital safety equipment and insurance. The first of its kind in the area, the care farm adopts a concept popular in the Netherlands, and will provide a place for disadvantaged and unemployed people to gain hands-on experience of working on a farm. Those set to benefit include young people at risk of exclusion from education, people with learning difficulties, autism, mental health problems and dementia. The farm will take referrals from Norfolk and Suffolk health and social care organisations and prescriptions through local GP’s.
The project will teach skills, such as growing fruit and vegetables, caring for livestock including chickens and sheep, working with machinery and handling the day-to-day farm management. It aims to get people into work, access further education or move on to other volunteer placements while boosting confidence, self-belief and improving physical and mental wellbeing.
All produce on the Toft Monks farm will be grown naturally and sold locally in Norfolk and Suffolk. Clinks Care Farm will also aim to sell the produce via Norfolk & Suffolk Food Direct, another social enterprise.
Clinks Care Farm will be managed as a social enterprise by Dutchman Doeke Dobma and his wife Iris, who have lived in East Anglia for six years. They were inspired by the 850-strong care farm network in their home country, which is accessed by more than 10,000 people each week and fully supported by the Dutch Government.
Doeke says that without May Gurney’s donation, the concept would have struggled to get off the ground. Now South Norfolk has its first care farm, he hopes other farmers in the area will realise the potential for agriculture to aid social inclusion and tackle rural deprivation. “We are really excited about getting the care farm in place. We hope it will inspire other farmers in Norfolk and Suffolk to follow our direction. The funding has made a huge difference and means we can get health and safety systems in place immediately, ready to welcome our first volunteers in June.”
Also benefitting from the latest round of donations from May Gurney are young homeless men and people with dyslexia via grants made to The St Edmunds Society and INDIGO Foundation in Norwich.
The St Edmunds Society, which provides accommodation for homeless men under the age of 30, has received £3,000 to help residents gain skills in plastering, tiling, painting and decorating. The money will be used to convert a garage, hire a tutor and launch the new project which expects to train up to 75 young people a year.
And the INDIGO Foundation, a one-stop centre to help people with dyslexia, has received £2,500 to increase the amount of tuition sessions delivered to unemployed people living with the condition.
The May Gurney Foundation was set up last year, and has set aside £300,000 to help charities and organisations get people back into work, education or to increase their confidence. Last year £7,500 worth of donations were made to MOVEON east in Norwich and Community Action Norwich. The Foundation has been set up in partnership with Norfolk Community Foundation, an organisation that manages the grant application process on May Gurney’s behalf, making the funding possible.
Janine Daynes Chair of the May Gurney Foundation, said the company felt it was important to give back to local communities and help people back to work, especially in tough economic times. “Our foundation supports community based charities and good causes which help young people and the long-term unemployed get into work. It focuses on improving opportunities for people in terms of education, self help, health and wellbeing as well as supporting local environment issues.
“The care farm in Toft Monks is a fantastic concept. I’m delighted that our funding means it can get started. I’m looking forward to seeing and perhaps even tasting the fruits of their labour!”
May Gurney will donate £100,000 per year until 2011 to charities across the UK. Another £15,000 has been made available to match fund employees’ fund raising activities for local and national charities.
If you are a Norfolk based charity, and would like to find out if you are eligible for May Gurney’s funding please contact Slava Puttock at Norfolk Community Foundation on (01603) 623958.
-Ends-
Notes to Editors
About May Gurney
May Gurney is an infrastructure services company. We are committed to helping our clients in the public and regulated sectors deliver sustainable improvements to front-line services across the UK.
We make sure that the road, utility, rail and waterways networks and public buildings are well maintained and that household waste is collected, managed and recycled. These essential maintenance services, which are based on long-term contracts, are the ones that are visible to local communities, and make a very real difference to the quality of life. They keep the country running.
Our track record in delivering great operational performance has built long-term relationships with our clients, who rely on us to support and anticipate their current needs and improve future outcomes. This focus on excellent customer service drives May Gurney.
And we never forget that our clients trust us to engage with their customers - communities and individuals - on their behalf. It's a responsibility that everyone at May Gurney takes very seriously.
May Gurney. Delivering essential services for our communities.
For further details about May Gurney please go to www.maygurney.co.uk
For more information about this release please contact Andrew Slater, Tel: 01603 727385, email aslater@maygurney.co.uk
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