The trust was first registered in 2011 with the Charity Commisison, then expanded and reformed in 2016 as Pennyhooks Farm Trust (1166812). It is also a company limited by guarantee (registered company number 9931286).
Our trustees are: Col. Paul Morris (RM.); Mr Richard Hurford (Pennyhooks Farm Manager) and Mr Krzystzof Lender (IT Engineer).
We have had the honour of welcoming our new patron: The Reverend Doctor Gordon Gatward (OBE, BD, PHD, FRAgS, FIAgrM, retired Director Arthur Rank Centre and founder of Care Farming UK). Having previously been our founding chairman, we are grateful for his wisdom and continuing support.
We employ a team of about 18 full time and part time staff. Their wide experience and skills are in : autism care, teaching, student support, psychology, woodwork, farm work, conservation, gardening, rural craft, home skills, book-keeping, willow weaving, administration and fund raising. They all share our ethos and a dedication to the wellbeing of young people with Autism.
Supporting the families and carers of our young people, when needed, is very important to us and we like to have close communication with them at all times. We also like to have regular evening parents meeting which we all value.
Volunteers come to us from many places, either as individual or as groups. We have several individuals whose regular presence in our lives makes an enormous difference, in many special ways, to the wellbeing of the farm, staff and students by helping out on the farm at weekends; using woodwork skills to make ‘kits’ for the students to assemble (e.g. for our reindeer); helping in a variety of roles on Open Days and sale events; offering specialist help from their own knowledge base for business planning and conservation; and by creating wonderful photographic records, and much more.
The objects of the charity are for the public benefit:
To advance the education of people with autism spectrum condition (“ASC”) and associated difficulties by developing their capabilities, skills and work-related training opportunities through the provision of therapeutic environment to enable participation in farming, rural craft, conservation-based and other appropriate activities on Pennyhooks Farm or other suitable rural locations which operate a traditional conservation-focussed approach to farm management and which also provide an appropriate environment for people with ASC:
-to advance the education of people who work with people with ASC and associated difficulties on farms or other suitable rural settings providing training and in such other ways as the Trustees see fit;
–to provide relief for people with ASC and associated difficulties and for those caring for them through the provision of residential and respite care in Pennyhooks Farm or other suitable rural locations and in such other ways as the Trustees think fit.
The trustees will endeavour to ensure that everyone engaged in furthering the Objects shows unconditional positive regard and care for students, clients and all those associated with them; in particular the Trustees will endeavour to ensure that the basis of the Charity’s work is as set out in the below.
The Charity recognises that people with autism have particular needs for support relating to their condition (high anxiety, sensory hypersensitivity, communication and social difficulties; movement and executive planning disturbances) and that Pennyhooks Farm enables an appropriate response to their need. This is facilitated through supported access to the seasonal rhythms, daily and predictable routines, space and green environment, purposeful activities and other aspects inherent in farm life. The Charity’s approach to its work is based on the ethos ‘love your neighbour as yourself’ (as summed up in Christ’s teaching of the story of the Good Samaritan.) This describes a compassionate and effective response to others who are in need.
