A Newton Aycliffe-based community project is set to help its young ‘champions’ develop new skills and self-confidence with the help of a four-figure equipment grant from a County Durham employer.
Five Acres Community Garden CIC is using a £2,000 Banks Group grant to buy a range of new woodworking equipment and accessories which will be used to help build a workshop at its new headquarters in Brafferton, which it is expecting to begin to move into in the spring.
The organisation’s aim is to provide a unique service where more than 40 young adults with additional needs, or champions as they are known at Five Acres, are empowered to learn independent living, social and employability skills.
And as part of this, the young champions will be involved in using the equipment to help build the new workshop themselves, with appropriate support and supervision being provided by the Five Acres team where required.
Currently headquartered at the ROF 59 trampoline centre on Aycliffe Business Park, Five Acres was set up in 2019 by directors Debbie and Gavin Iceton, who had noticed, while running their transport business, a fall in the range of services available for young people with additional needs and decided to do something about it.
The directors’ long-term vision was to create an agricultural and horticultural centre on a five-acre field they owned at Brafferton through which they could offer a unique service where young adults could develop their social, independent living and employability skills in their own ways.
Activities that are currently provided include cookery, gardening, small animal care and arts and crafts sessions, with some of the products made by the champions, such as keyrings, coasters and chopping boards, being sold to raise funds to support Five Acres’ work.
The equipment purchased with the grant will also be used by the champions to build other items at the Brafferton centre, including raised beds, fencing and animal enclosures.
Donna Martin, funding and marketing manager at Five Acres Community Garden, says: “Our champions come from right across the North East, with the experiences we provide designed to help them develop practical social, independent living and employability skills, as well as greater confidence in themselves and their ability to succeed.
“Getting them directly involved in the creation of our new facilities is a brilliant way to help them develop their practical skills, give them a sense of ownership of a place that they will be using regularly and build their self-confidence through their personal achievements all at the same time.
“We’ve been fundraising hard to ensure we have the resources we need to make the absolute most of our new home and to be able to show everyone that visits the passion we all have for our work.
“Support from local businesses like Banks is absolutely invaluable and will help us make even more of a positive difference to the lives of our champions.”
Kate Culverhouse, community relations manager at the Banks Group, adds: “Five Acres is already providing young people across our region with the chance to achieve and succeed in lots of different ways, with the move to its new premises set to increase the tremendous impact that the organisation makes.
“Seeing this funding helping Five Acres making practical steps towards achieving their goals is an ideal outcome for us and we’re proud to be supporting yet another great community organisation in our home county.”
The Banks Group’s community funds are independently managed by Point North (formerly the County Durham Community Foundation).