Annagh Social Farm, Derrylin, has been delivering social farming since 2013

Rural Support delivers the Social Farming Support Service for Northern Ireland, supporting farmers providing social farming.

The Derrylin farm is a mixed enterprise of beef, ducks and hens, pigs, woodland, wild bird and moth conservation, and vegetable/fruit harvesting. The farmland in Fermanagh extends to just over 100 acres of grazing lands.

Simon and Jennifer live on the farm with their three children in a traditional stone-built, reed thatched, whitewashed cottage – one of only approximately 100 remaining in Ulster, with very few still used as family homes.

Simon is the fifth generation of the Bullock family to live and work on this farm. After attending agricultural college, Simon improved the farm while maintaining the natural environment and currently manages the beef herd.

Simon commented: “It has been a privilege to welcome participants to our social farm since we started delivery in 2013. Seeing the real impact it has had for these individuals over the years has been extremely rewarding for us as a family.”

Simon and Jennifer currently provide social farming two days a week for six individuals with a Learning Disability through a contract with the Western Health and Social Service Trust.

The participants are supported by Simon and Jennifer and volunteers to benefit from being in a natural, outside environment, where they can grow in confidence as they learn new skills, caring for the animals and plants, develop new relationships with people, have a role on the farm and a feeling of doing something worthwhile while allowing them to be integrated into the local community.

Annagh Social Farm has received worthy recognition for their service delivery over the years, including being awarded a Certificate of Recognition in 2019 at the Fermanagh Rural Community Network awards, with Jennifer recognised as ‘An Individual Who Has Made a Difference’.

In 2022, the farm was a finalist in both the Fermanagh Business Awards’ Contribution to the Community category and Social Enterprise NI Awards for Rural Social Enterprise. The professional service delivery provided at Annagh Social Farm was recognised in their achievement of the Social Farming Standards badge which was awarded by Rural Support in August 2022.

Simon and Jennifer are currently developing a second location to deliver social farming – Peg’s Workshop, Aughnacloy. On this farm, there are exciting plans for supported living accommodation with renovation works to commence in the summer of 2023.

If you would like to hear more about social farming, or are interested in being involved, please contact the Social Farming Support Service Coordinator Elaine Conlon on 028 86760040 or [email protected]

To find out more about Rural Support, visit www.ruralsupport.org.uk or telephone the Support Line on Freephone 0800 138 1678, Mon-Fri 9am-9pm.