Ameila Farm Trust
The Amelia Trust Farm is a highly respected charity based in the heart of the Vale of Glamorgan. Its work is based around supporting disadvantaged and disaffected people and giving them a positive focus on their lives.
Amelia Trust Farm
Five Mile Lane
Walterston
Barry
Vale of Glamorgan
Wales
CF62 3AS
telephone:
01446 782030; Fax:
01446 782031
e-mail:
general@ameliatrust.org.uk or
ann@ameliatrust.org.uk
website:
www.ameliatrust.org.uk
Contact: Ann Slater, Youth Worker; Revd John Stacy-Marks, Trust Director.
A Youth or Adult? Project, 1997-2002, Investing in Success 2002-2007 [Joseph Rank Trust]
The Amelia Trust Farm has the following Mission Statement: -
The Amelia Methodist Farm is deliberately centred in the countryside.
The Trust seeks to offer a caring Christian environment in which to provide recreational, educational and training opportunities for all.
It seeks in particular to serve those who are the most disadvantaged whether physically, materially, spiritually or socially.
The Farm was a vision of a local couple, originally from poor backgrounds, who wanted to give something back to the community. They helped set the farm up, and still support our work where they can. The Trust manages approximately 60 acres of mixed farmland and woodland, whilst the remaining 100 acres are worked by a local agricultural college.
The farm owes much of its success to the way it is organised and run. We have always tried to maintain a delicate balance of people from all walks of life on the farm. We host numerous learning disability projects for Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties (EBD) children, but we are also open to the public, entertain numerous school visits, run international work camps and work alongside a large number of committed volunteers.
All of these different groups make up a site, which provides a holistic support network where everyone has their own niche. To give an idea of the numbers of people involved we have approx 45 young people on site everyday. These young people are either at school on site (we accommodate 2 Pupil Referral Units) on the Alternative Curriculum (one project) or are referred directly to us via Fostering Agencies, Local Social Services, Youth Offending Teams and Education Departments. These young people are aged between 11 and 16 years old. We have approx 250 adult volunteers working with the trust at any time. Though obviously not all on site at the same time! About 50 people with Learning Disabilities come to the farm each week to do a variety of tasks, though they mainly focus on horticulture, catering and silk-screen printing. Many school groups and visitors come for a day out and these number approx 30,000 per annum, though most visit the site in the hopefully warm summer months. Many groups use the 36-bed hostel accommodation on site for residential visits.
Work supported by the Rank Charities.
The
Rank Charities have already funded a 5 year
Youth or Adult? Placement, which has funded our youth workers post and
enabled our youth worker Ann Slater to gain a BA in Informal Education via
the YMCA George Williams College. Ann supports, trains and guides
disaffected young people through their time at the farm. Each young person
has a range of opportunities whilst here, they include woodwork, pottery,
conservation, music, cookery, animal care, farm work, outdoor activities,
sports, work experience, personal tutoring and help with anger management
and other social issues. This range allows young peop
le
to find something that they enjoy, can succeed in and thus build up their
confidence, self-esteem and social skills. Ann also runs accreditation via
the ASDAN Youth Award Scheme and the open college network, which allows the
young people and the outside world to acknowledge and appreciate the efforts
that they put in.
The new funding in 2003 Investing in Success has enabled Ann to take on Liam Churcher in the role of Trainee Youth Worker. It is hoped that Liam will stay with the farm for four years and gain a DipHE in Youth and community work.
Prepared by Ann Slater