Wingrove Farm, Saintfield - Social farming in Northern Ireland

The farm has been in the Burgess family for over 30 years, with Jayne leading the social farming delivery with support from her husband Robert and sons Hugh and Alex.

Their farm is a typical working family farm, with a mixed enterprise of suckler herd, breeding sheep, chickens, pigs, and grain.

Wingrove Farm offer so much for their participants to get involved in.

They are given the opportunity to work with animals and complete day-to-day activities such as feeding, cleaning chores, ongoing animal health care, moving animals, and checking on animals in the fields during the grazing season and feed them with meal as required.

Participants get the chance to assist with farm maintenance projects such as field boundary running repairs and they also assist with the vegetable garden, digging, weeding, planting, picking and general maintenance of the grounds, glasshouses, and tunnel.

The family welcome three individuals with a Learning Disability from the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust onto their farm every Wednesday. Jayne can see the participants growing in confidence every week.

She commented: “It is a win-win situation for everyone – us as a family, the participants we work with, their parents and loved ones and for the next generation coming along; it keeps us grounded as we want to lead by example and give our participants the best experience going home every week feeling fulfilled and accomplished.”

The family enjoy hearing the feedback from participants’ parents on the positive impact social farming has for their loved ones.

The Burgess’ offer participants the opportunity to engage in meaningful structured activities every week educating them on farming life.

This is central to how social farming benefits participants through being supported in the farm environment to learn, to connect, and to achieve their potential.

Wingrove Farm is an excellent example of a typical working family-run farm providing a valuable service to their participants.

Social farming is an innovative use of agriculture to promote therapy, rehabilitation, social inclusion, education and social services in rural areas.

There are multiple benefits from it, for both the individuals involved and the rural economy.

Rural Support delivers the Social Farming Support Service for Northern Ireland, supporting farmers delivering social farming and promoting the service for those who could benefit from participation, leading its development here.

There are currently 14 active farms in Northern Ireland.

The Social Farming Support Service operates with a vision of social farming being widely recognised and understood in Northern Ireland, with farmers delivering high-quality services across the region for individuals in need of support, that are valued by all, accessible for all, and supported by sustainable resources.

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

Rural Support was established in 2002 and provides a range of services for farmers and farming families across Northern Ireland including a support line. It also provides face to face support through its mentoring programme, help with sourcing information and advice about a wide range of issues.

It is a registered charity with various income streams from government, philanthropic and corporate support. These include DAERA, Public Health Agency, NFU Charitable Trust, Princes Countryside Fund as well as donations from the general public.

To find out more about the range of services and programmes available at Rural Support, go to the NI Farm Support hub at www.ruralsupport.org.uk or telephone the Support Line on Freephone 0800 138 1678 available Monday to Friday from 9am to 9pm.