The East Grinstead Memorial Estate generously provided the funds to purchase vital new equipment for Diagrama Foundation's West Sussex care farm, Duckyls Farm.
Based near east Grinstead, Duckyls Farm supports adults with a learning disability, autism, acquired brain injury or physical and sensory impairments.
The funding has been used towards the purchase of a Hyundai Mini Dumper Power Barrow, which will help people attending Community Services at Duckyls Farm take a more active and independent role in day-to-day farm activities.
Nearly 30 adults attend the service each week, taking part in structured programmes that include animal care, growing produce, land management, cooking, crafts and woodworking. These activities are designed to build confidence, develop practical skills and improve wellbeing through meaningful hands-on work in a rural environment.
The new motorised barrow will replace the use of a manual wheelbarrow for many tasks around the farm, including transporting compost, soil, tools and clearing manure from fields.
Duckyls Farm’s heavy clay soil and uneven terrain can make pushing a loaded wheelbarrow physically difficult, particularly for people with mobility issues, reduced strength or balance difficulties, and particularly during spring, when the barrow is in heavy use preparing growing beds.
By reducing the physical demands of these tasks, the new equipment will enable more people to participate directly in farming activities safely and independently, rather than relying on staff assistance.
Keri Strugnell, Care Farm and Community Manager for Diagrama Community Services at Duckyls Farm said: “We are incredibly grateful to the East Grinstead Memorial Estate for supporting this project. The power barrow will make a huge difference to the people who attend our services by removing barriers to participation and helping them gain greater independence and confidence through practical farm work.”
Phil Martin, Grants and Donations, East Grinstead Memorial Estate Ltd said: “The projects undertaken at Duckyls Farm are clearly helping many in our community in and around East Grinstead. As a local charity ourselves, we felt Diagrama ticked all the boxes in terms of the type of community-based groups we aim to support and the very practical nature of the funding request. East Grinstead Memorial Estate Ltd is delighted to be able to contribute to the purchase of a motorised wheelbarrow, which promises to be a super addition to the farm.”