Plan My Project - Case Studies

Growing Skills

Growing Skills engages adults with learning and physical disabilities and underachieving school pupils in highly supervised, work experience which utilises the therapeutic benefits of working in a horticultural environment. It enhances their progress towards independent living by developing their business and employment skills.

This inclusive project builds upon the successful Mencap essential skills and skills for life programmes at Plumpton Colleges, Ivyland Farm Out-Reach Centre at Netherfield in East Sussex and has increased the number of students benefiting from the training.

The project develops the capacity for teaching through sorting, grading, weighing, counting and packing fruit and vegetables grown by the learners. It also promotes the consumption of fresh, local and healthy produce by the learners and their care homes.

The key partners including local schools, Mencap, Connexions, residential care homes, LSC and the County Council were all involved with and supported the need for this project from the outset and still continue to support it.

The first phase of growing skills saw the environmentally friendly renovation of a redundant cow shed to provide an area for storing, processing and packing produce grown on site; a small kitchen with dining and seminar facilities; toilet and wash facilities including facilities for disabled students; and an office for the project administration.

The renovation work was done using ecological and local materials. A wood heating system was installed to make use of on-farm woodland resources and rainwater will be collected from the roof for use on the farm. An innovative ecological reed-bed waste disposal system was also incorporated in the design.

The second phase was the successful development of training activities that involved harvesting, sorting and preparation of vegetables including the learners making their own simple wholesome lunch. There were plans to sell boxes of produce at the farm gate.

The project has successfully met all its objectives and targets. The building was successfully renovated; 32 Disabled adult learners attended courses (Target 30); 15 Young underachievers attended Skills for Working Life (Target 10). The project failed to deliver the planned "box scheme" but replaced this by growing and supplying flowers for the Battle in Bloom displays.

There were no problems reported with budget or cash flow and total spend was just £54 under the full cost budget of £216,500. The project has had a large and lasting effect on the community by increasing and improving provision for assisting disabled adults and young people in the rural area. It has made people more aware of the work with disabled adults and young people (articles in Times Educational Supplement etc.); and has had a positive impact on able-bodied students.

The project is sustainable in terms of its construction and environmentally sound running costs; and as a learning facility provided that the core LSC funding of the students does not change markedly.

To see the full evaluation report for this project click here.

To email the project manager click here.

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