In 2016, Ina Dressler-Pearson, the CEO, created a Community Interest Company so that she could realise her dream of building a unique care farm on her family land in Bishops Frome. Ina has had personal experience of losing a child with severe disabilities and he was the inspiration for Avenbury Care Farm.
Had he lived, her son would have grown up needing inspiring and meaningful day care opportunities that helped him to learn and achieve. Ina, with her husband Steve carefully planned and built the new facilities that make up the care farm and with the support of her family and the trustees / directors, the care farm opened in August 2018.
The farm is set on 8 acres and comprises of animal paddocks for sheep, pigs, alpacas, ponies, horses and goats, a vegetable garden with 12 raised beds, an orchard/play area, a budding small forest craft pavilion and quiet seating areas planted with sensory plants.
Indoors there is a heated kitchen and arts and crafts workshop, a woodworking room and 2 large conservatories for communal activities. There are 2 underfloor-heated, disabled friendly toilets with a shower and specialist changing equipment.
The purpose built barn also houses large rabbit and guinea pig pens as well as a pen for our 'pardoned' turkeys and Chinese bantam chickens.
‘We have achieved our dream of creating a safe and comfortable care farm environment and will be open all year round. We aim to be able to cater for people with all kinds of disabilities and additional needs and are particularly proud to be completely accessible for wheelchair users’.
The staff members have experience in the care field physical and sensory disabilities, mental health, autism, ADHD and older people. They have previous experience in animal care and farm work, horticulture and managing voluntary sector projects. All staff and volunteers have an enhanced DBS check and training in First Aid, Food Hygiene and Adult Safeguarding.