Care Farming West Midlands
What is Care Farming?
Care Farming combines care and meaningful work in the supportive natural environment of farms, woodlands and market gardens.
Care Farming provides a healthy dairy structure for participants builds confidence and supports people to develop their social and practical skills.
Care farming significantly improves the health and well being of many participants and helps them to take steps towards feelings included in society, safe and valued.
Participants on care farms intergrate as 'farm helpers' as they are important part of the daily running of the farm.
How can CFWM help?
CFWM is a social enterprise that has been set up to help develop new care farms in the West Midlands, with an initial focus upon the West Midland counties Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Shropshire.
CFWM seeks to raise awareness of the potential of care farming within commissioning agencies, the farming community and with potential participants. CFWM will provide a guided development process to create new care farms and will assist new care farmers through accredited quality assurance and training.
CFWM provides:
- County level development officers for Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Shropshire.
- A starter pack including guidance related to health and safety, insurance and legal set up.
- Training to develop quality assured care farms.
- Awareness raising and brokerage for potential commissioners and farmers.
- Marketing assistance for care farms including a dedicated section on the national website.
- Promotional and networking events with opportunities to share best practice.
- PHD research and advocacy to develop supportive government policy.
Who is membership for?
- Commissioners of health and social care, education authorities and justice agencies - e.g. social services, probation, doctors, police, substance, misuse teams, pupil referral units and PCTs.
- Carers, families and farm helpers.
- Farmers considering care farming.
- Farmers currently care farming, looking to share and develop best practice.
- Policy makers - at national regional and local level.
- Charities that focus on provision for people in need.
- People wishing to be kept updated of the development of care farming.
Would you like to know more about care farming?
Please contact Care Farming West Midlands on:
Tel: 01905 622218
Email: enquiries@cfwm.org.uk
Care Farming West Midlands, Unit 5, Top Barn Business Centre, Holt, Worcestershire WR6 6NH.
