We were very pleased to welcome our local MP, the former Health Secretary Matt Hancock, to Depden Care Farm on March 10th to see at first hand the opportunities the farm offers adults with additional needs and those recovering from mental health issues and brain injuries.
On a rather snowy day, Mr Hancock was shown round by the Director, Tim Freathy, and met a number of our Farm Helpers and spent time in our very cosy new small animal house meeting the tortoises, turtles, degus and chameleon. Tim explained the goals of Depden Care Farm are to be a place where everyone can flourish and find their role in society by learning new skills through fulfilling work on the farm with animals, crops and the natural environment.
Following his tour, Mr Hancock commented:
During my visit, I was able to see for myself some of the incredible opportunities the farm offers. From learning skills in animal husbandry to horticulture and agriculture – Depden Care Farm is an amazing place and somewhere we should all be incredibly proud of.
I spoke to one young man who has autism, he spoke to me with such confidence and enthusiasm, that our conversation could have gone on for hours. Yet when he started working at the care farm, he was very timid and rarely spoke. This really opened my eyes to the incredible impact this farm has on so many people who work there. Others spoke to me about how spending time on the care farm helped their mental well-being, as well as teaching them important skills that will support them in their future lives and careers.
I want to thank Tim Freathy, the director, and the rest of the team at Depden Care Farm, for showing me around. I am incredibly proud of the positive impact Depden Care Farm continues to have on so many neurodiverse people in my constituency. They are a remarkable asset to our community and I hope they continue their amazing work for many years to come. Depden Care Farm are fundraising to expand how many people they can help and very much deserve our support.
