Mayor of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Dr Nik Johnson has visited a Wisbech community farm recently awarded funding from the Combined Authority’s Market Towns Programme.

People and Animals UK received £225,761 to create a new social enterprise hub at Wisbech Community Farm.

The space will offer room for themed workshops to support a range of local groups, including bringing access to education, mental health, and wellbeing support.

Mayor of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Dr Nik Johnson: “This enterprise, its staff and volunteers, are all inspiring and I’m delighted to see how many partners are collaborating to make this a brilliant focus for community transport, education, public health, and wellbeing.

Wisbech Standard: Some of the team at People and Animals UK.Some of the team at People and Animals UK. (Image: Combined Authority)

“The Combined Authority I lead is committed to helping market towns like Wisbech, their villages and rural areas to flourish in a changing world.

“This phase of our ‘Market Towns Programme’ is about boosting the impact of charitable and community enterprises in areas like the Fens where well-targeted investment makes a massive difference.”

The Mayor met staff and volunteers and some of the animals now thriving on what was once a beet field in the Fens.

Wisbech Standard: Some of the team at People and Animals UK.Some of the team at People and Animals UK. (Image: Combined Authority)

Katie Bristow, director of operations at People and Animals UK, said: “The Mayor was most taken by Betty and Beatrice our KuneKune crossbreed pigs, adopted by a local care farm during the pandemic.

“He also joined staff and volunteers at our community crafting in the barn, and learned about the journey that each of our projects take as we bring people together to design, build, create spaces and services to be proud of, on what was a sugar beet field only 5 years ago!”

Funding for the Wisbech enterprise comes from phase two of the Combined Authority Market Towns Programme.