Curo are proud to support Bath City Farm as our charity of the year for 2022.
The farm is a place of fun and learning in the heart of Twerton, serving the local area and the wider Bath community.
As part of our link-up, a Curo van now proudly sports the Bath City Farm logo.
“It’s great to have our logo on the van,” says Alison Howell, Communication and Development Lead at the farm. “It will really help to raise awareness in the local area. Hopefully, people who haven’t heard of us will visit the farm.”
One of the ways Curo has raised money for Bath City Farm has been a sponsored ‘three peaks challenge’, which has made more than £5,600 so far. On 16 September, a team of 23 Curo colleagues climbed the three tallest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales – Scafell Pike (978m), Ben Nevis (1,345m) and Snowdon (1,085m).
Martin Whitlock, Health and Safety Facilities Manager at Curo, who completed the hike in 24 hours, says: “The climbing was relentless. With tired legs and no sleep it was really tough to keep going. Your brain is telling you to stop and it’s only the camaraderie and support of the group that keeps you going.
“After the climb we were exhausted but elated that we had raised so much money for Bath City Farm, which does so much amazing work for the local community.”
The farm offers local people who are having issues with their mental health the chance to volunteer. “Some have schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, or they might have been recently bereaved,” says Alison.
Medical professionals can refer volunteers or they can refer themselves. “The after-effects of the pandemic mean we’ve seen more people volunteering,” says Alison. “There are 60 volunteers on our books and on Mondays and Wednesdays they help out at the farm, planting veg and tending to animals.
“They grow everything from seed, and produce such as salad leaves, tomatoes, courgettes and onions is then sold in our café and shop.”
The volunteers help with mucking out, feeding and grooming the animals, including chickens, goats and pigs. “Animals make a world of difference,” says Alison. “Caring for them helps to quieten minds. The farm is a safe place.”
To give the volunteers a welcoming place to relax, Curo has installed a new kitchen in their cabin. “We’re absolutely thrilled with it,” says Alison. “It’s made such a difference to our volunteers to have somewhere clean and tidy where they can gather together and prepare food and drinks.”
The farm also runs an after-school club for local children and a ‘Farmhands’ scheme for young people aged 11-16. “It shows them that farming is something that they can get involved with,” says Alison. “We teach them about the environment and how food is produced. It helps them to feel enthusiastic about nature.”
