Wisbech community farm hope to get Lottery funding in a public vote
People and Animals UK hope to set up a community farm and therapy base in Wisbech with the help of Lottery funding. - Credit: Archant
An animal therapy group hopes people will vote for them to receive up to £50,000 of National Lottery funding.
People and Animals UK hope to set up a community farm and therapy base in Wisbech with the help of Lottery funding. - Credit: Archant
The People and Animals Wisbech group has a plot of land ready to create a community farm.
Now it hopes to receive £36,130 from Lottery funding to set it up with a wide range of animal therapy in the Fens.
Katie Bristow, director of People and Animals said: “Imagine you have been unable to leave your home for years, due to those overwhelming self-doubts that plague you day in day out, you lose touch with any friends, you feel unable to work, you feel that you have no worth.
“But then our trained therapy dog, a happy, smiley one-eyed golden retriever, called Urwin, crosses your path. You can’t help but smile back. “You build a relationship with Urwin, he supports you to leave your home, meet new people, discover your talents and learn new skills, make new friendships, start volunteering and are looking froward to getting back into work.
People and Animals UK hope to set up a community farm and therapy base in Wisbech with the help of Lottery funding. - Credit: Archant
“Our team see this happening each and every day, and we want to create a therapeutic community farm, a space for an army of Urwin’s in the form of dogs, horses, goats, sheep, pigs, chickens, to support people young and old in overcoming any barriers that they may be facing.”
The team already has a plot of land ready to go, they just need the animals to go on it before they can open up and regularly support hundreds more people on their journey to finding their brighter futures.
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The group hopes local people will get involved in they poll.
The community farm for the Fens is called Creative Farm Therapies based on what they say is “empowering people, through the magic of animals.”
It is one of five groups in West Anglia in the running for a share of up to £150,000 of funding.
Now in its 13th year, the Big Lottery Fund, ITV and The National Lottery are teaming up to give the public a chance to decide how National Lottery funding should be put to good use in their local area.
• Voting closes at midday on Monday April 30. Visit their website for details in the West Anglia section or visit the People and Animals AAI UK Facebook page.
