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Kids on the Farm Summer 2024

Posted on by Maz Baker

We are opening up the gates of Snakehall Farm to the kids this summer holidays thanks to support from Social Farms and Gardens and The Hilden Trust. We have small, rustic, rural and muddy hands on sessions to book online. We have already hosted a Forest School event and are looking forward to EVERYONE joining us for our 35th Anniversary Farm Open Day on Saturday 14th September 11 to 3pm.

Kids on the Farm: Flowers on the Farm WEDNESDAY 14th August 10:30 to 12

To book a space: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/kids-on-farm-flowers-on-the-farm-with-rosie-co-workers-tickets-990712436567

Kids on the Farm: Build a Bug Hotel with Farmer Mark in our Nature Reserve Friday 23rd August 10:30 to 12

To book a space to build a bug hotel: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/kids-on-the-farm-build-a-bug-hotel-with-farmer-mark-in-our-nature-area-tickets-990863207527

Kids on the Farm: Mini Farmers (Toddlers to 6 years) Friday 30th August 10:30 to 12

To book your spaces: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/kids-on-the-farm-mini-farmer-session-tickets-990901201167

All of these events require a responsible adult to remain and support their children at all times on our busy working farm. Booking online is ESSENTIAL as we have a limited number of places per session. If you have any questions which are not answered on this page or on our booking pages please call our Farm Office on 01638 741551 during the hours of 9:30 to 2:30pm.

Snakehall Farm Open Day – Save the Date!

Posted on by Maz Baker

We are offering stall holders the opportunity to celebrate alongside all the fun on the farm this September, if you are a local artisan, crafty creative or food truck celebrating the best of produce we would love to hear from you. Stalls will be offered on a £10 or more charitable donation plus a donation to our 35K for 35 Years Grand Prize Raffle. For more details call our office on 01353 662010 or send us an email to enquiries[@]prospectstrust.org.uk

This event only happens on important milestones of The Prospects Trust so make sure you save the date and come celebrate all the fun growing on Snakehall Farm.

We will be opening up our newly emerging Nature Reserve and offer farm trails, tractor rides and lots of other fun activities for all. With free entry and free parking perhaps you will buy a raffle ticket or two too? All funds raised at this event will be going towards our £35k for 35 Years appeal https://prospectstrust.org.uk/35k-for-35-years/.

Are you a Great British Baker? Why not enter our Cake or Bake competition to see if you can rival our outstanding Enterprise Kitchen creations? The winning cake will win a prize and all of your bakes will be sold as part of our fundraising efforts – tea and prize winning cake anyone?

We will also be bringing back our much loved Snakehall Farm Scarecrow Competition – with the best dressed scarecrow winning a prize and all of them being part of our farm trails. Entries need to be dropped off by Friday 13th of September so they are ready to “greet” all of our visitors on the big day.

First Parent, Carer & Social Worker Event hosted at Snakehall Farm

Posted on by Maz Baker

The Prospects Trust opened its farm gates to parents and carers on Tuesday 16th April for a farm tour led by Farmer Mark and a chat over tea and some delicious Enterprise Kitchen bakes with Hannah our Co-worker Manager and Maz our Executive Director.  This was the first of a series of planned events throughout the year to give families and carers an opportunity to see our Co-workers in action on their farm in their workplace. A further Coffee and Chat drop in at Unwrapped is also planned for families of Co-workers in our Ely enterprise, Prospects Trust Unwrapped on Thursday 18th April at 10am to 11 am. 

The feedback from our Snakehall Farm parents and carers was joyfully positive, all welcoming the opportunity to get their boots muddy on a very windy day, but also giving insight into the Co-workers we mutually support; at home and in their supported work place.  The staff demonstrated the new Co-worker Achievement Plans and Daily Logs on the tablets recently funded by the Access Group and our in-house recording system developed using corporate volunteering support.  Ideas for development included being able to share the daily snapshots with family, carers and social workers in reviews. 

We asked the families about where they would like to see The Prospects Trust in 5 years time and the resounding response “doing what you are already doing so well”, what a great endorsement?  Of course we all agreed with the improved toilets at Snakehall Farm, more customers boosting our social enterprise income, more funding to improve facilities and a general positive awareness building of Co-worker opportunities at The Prospects Trust.  All attending agreed a few more opportunities to come together throughout the year as seasons (and work skills) change would be welcomed. 

Other ideas included:

  • monthly news updates to carers, even if they are repeating the same message and using both hard copies and emails to ensure the information gets home.
  • Send leaflets home about stalls, events and fundraising opportunities as more would love to get involved
  • Add staff photos to the website to connect the names with faces (agreed some staff would prefer an illustrated image due to data use)
  • A daily social media post – positively promoting a Co-worker doing a meaningful job
  • Work with children and education providers to break down barriers around disability – Prospects Trust being an advocate for abilities of people with additional needs
  • Option to have a parent & carers association to help support charity events, awareness building, engagement with the Trust in the local area
  • Consider having a Stall at Ely Market to boost awareness of The Prospects Trust
  • Share Saturday Volunteering opportunities and Corporate Volunteering Opportunities with families and carers.

The Great Outdoors at Snakehall Farm

Posted on by Maz Baker

Did you listen in?

Did you listen live to the BBC Radio Cambridgeshire’s Great Outdoors programme on Sunday 28th May?

Well if you didn’t you missed the most fabulous farm in Cambridgeshire being showcased by Amir! But do not miss out as you can listen back to the show on BBC Sounds for 28 days or click to hear our captured edit, the soundbites of Snakehall Farm:

The Prospects Trust at Snakehall Farm as interviewed by Amir Suleman on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

Unwrapped – Finalist in the Farm Shop & Deli Awards 2023

Posted on by Maz Baker

Farm Shop & Deli Show has unveiled the regional finalists in its 2023 Retailer Awards – comprising some of the UK’s best loved specialist retailers, pillars of their respective communities and champions of great produce and sustainable practice. 

An esteemed panel of judges have taken into consideration the ways in which retailers have played an important role in supporting and developing their staff, before creating their shortlist of regional finalists, whittled down from hundreds of entries. Executive Director of The Prospects Trust said “opening the invite to a national award at such a prestigious trade show made us whoop with delight. The trade show at the NEC was where our initial ideas took shape, finding the scales, till, the refill wall and even suppliers over 4 years ago. Unwrapped is a social enterprise GREENgrocery combining the best deli style food, creating a new way to shop local, seasonal and sustainable for Ely, Cambridgeshire, we have our fingers crossed we may even scoop an award”.

The 68 successful businesses span 12 categories and nine UK regions, with some regions awarding ‘Best retailer’ to both small and large retailers. Prospects Trust Unwrapped Shop Manager Clare Rees said “its just super to be shortlisted and share the accolade with my great team of staff, Co-workers, volunteers and of course our supportive customers, we have even scheduled some much needed maintenance work in the shop while we close to attend the show”.

Co-workers (people with additional needs) are part of the workforce at Unwrapped

Back for 2023 the Awards will be selecting their ‘Newcomer of the Year’ as well as the return of the ‘Retailer of the Year’ accolade. These and the regional winners will be revealed live from Farm Shop & Deli Show, at the NEC Birmingham on Tuesday 25th April 2023, in what promises to be a thrilling celebration of the sector. A small team from The Prospects Trust Unwrapped are attending the show and are excited to take part in the award ceremony on Tuesday.

Take a look at the shortlisted finalists here: https://event.farmshopanddelishow.co.uk/live/en/page/finalist-shortlist

The finalists by region in full:

East Anglia

The Prospects Trust Unwrapped

Fodder

Friday Street Farm Shop

Poplar Nurseries

River Colne Food Co

The Goat Shed Farm Shop & Kitchen

The Grundisburgh Dog Delicatessen Ltd

The Norfolk Deli

Midlands

Aubrey Allen

Bells Farm Shop

Broad Bean Delicatessen

Canalside Farm, Shop & Cafe

Croots Farm Shop

Delilah Fine Foods Ltd

Drapers Lane Delicatessen

Farndon Fields Farm Shop

Harp Lane Deli

Reunion Deli

Stoughton Grange Farm Shop and Distillery

The Chuckling Cheese Company

Welbeck Farm Shop

North East

Coghlans at Barningham

Cut by Farmison & Co

George & Joseph Cheesemongers

Mainsgill Farmshop

Piper’s artisan sausages

Samuel Valentine – The Urban Food Hall

Yolk Farm

Northern Ireland
Clive’s Country corner

Colemans Farm Shop

Cunningham Butchers, Food Hall & Steak House

Millar Meats and Fine Foods

Quails fine foods

North West

Bells fishmongers ltd

Cheshire Smokehouse Limited

Chorlton Cheesemongers Ltd

Country Harvest

Gazegill Organics

Kami’s West Derby

Lovingly Artisan Bakery

Low Sizergh Barn

Roast Mutton

Scotland

Belhaven Smokehouse

Kj’s Bothy Bakery

Macauley’s Fruit and Veg Merchant

The House of Bruar

The Kedar Pantry

South East

Cheese Etc, The Pangbourne Cheese Shop

Cobbs Farm Shop, Cobbs at Winchester, Cobbs at Englefield, Cobbs at Manydown

Cowdray Farm Shop & cafe

Flock & Herd Butchery and Deli

Hampshire Artisan Foods Ltd – trading as Hampshire Deli & Farm Shop

Macknade Food Hall

Melrose & Morgan

The Grumpy Goat

The Hungry Guest

The Kitchen Food Company

Valentina Deli

South West

Bay Leaves Larder

Darts Farm

Durslade Farm Shop

Flourish Foodhall & Kitchen

Great Cornish Food Store

Greendale Farm Shop

Pipers Farm

Wales

Bodnant Welsh Food

Forage Farm Shop & Kitchen

Nolton Cross Farm Shop

To find out more about Farm Shop & Deli Retailer Awards, visit https://www.farmshopanddelishow.co.uk/awards.

About The UK Food & Drink Shows: 

The UK Food & Drink Shows unite four shows under one roof, covering the complete supply chain in three comprehensive days of insight, innovation and inspiration. Farm Shop & Deli Show joins National Convenience Show, Foodex Manufacturing Solutions and Food & Drink Expo, to create an unmissable proposition for progressive food and drink professionals across the industry.  

While the content of each show has been tailored to meet the exacting requirements of its respective audience, The UK Food & Drink Shows are united by four overarching themes: Health & Nutrition, Sustainability, Technology and Consumer Insight; issues faced unilaterally that will filter down into every part of the show discourse. Find out more about Farm Shop & Deli Show at: https://www.farmshopanddelishow.co.uk/

Farm Shop & Deli Show is part of the UK Food & Drink Shows, run by William Reed Business Media.

Smiliest Server Award scooped by Prospects Trust Unwrapped Staff on behalf of the Co-workers

Posted on by Maz Baker

In Ely’s beautiful riverside Maltings at what is now the East Cambs annual glitterati calendar event of the year, The Ely Heroes Awards, our very sun shiny smiley Gem represented the whole team of Unwrapped and won the prestigious Smiliest Server of the Year award. Supported by Shop Manager Clare and fellow Retail Support Worker Mandy, Gem shone like the absolute gem she is (and maybe shook with nerves) as she was presented with the Ely Hero award on Friday 23rd September 2022. Gem wanted to accept the award on behalf of all of the amazing Co-workers (people with additional needs) she works alongside at Prospects Trust Unwrapped, in the heart of Ely. Gem works Monday to Wednesday, helping Co-workers serve customers the doorstep wedged toasties, flaky vegan sausage rolls and cappuccino smiles Unwrapped is now famous for in our super city of Ely. Gem is also known to belt into song, get Co-workers dancing on the shop floor and always brings a bit of pizzazz to a Monday morning. If you haven’t seen Ely’s Smiliest Server in action we suggest you get refilling and refuelling at Prospects Unwrapped today!

To show how The Prospects Trust retails differently
Gem and Co-worker making barista pro coffee at Unwrapped, Ely

Farmer Mark formally represented The Prospects Trust at the event from turning Hero to Judge for this year’s awards. Back in 2019 Mark scooped Colleague of the Year and this year he had the humbling task of interviewing all the candidates in the Caring Companion category. Mark has been a dedicated member of social care for most of his working life and he was delighted to meet inspirational figures making the care sector even more caring.

The Prospects Trust wishes to thank all of the people, organisations and businesses who continue to make Ely Heroes Awards the most beautiful experience for our local super people and a huge congratulations to everyone nominated in this years awards.