Donna and Friends Volunteering

Hello and welcome. This event is inspired by Donna who is 45 years young as her lovely support worker reached out to volunteer and we got chatting.

We all need friends, purpose and if we are honest we all have disabilities of some sort..... just we don't call it that.

I had a bad horse accident 2 years ago and I understand the isolation of pain and lack of help in the community for others. I believe that by working together we can achieve big things, by talking about what we struggle with.... what we need help with, ideas and inspiration..... someone to listen to you in a safe, accepting environment.

Ive been working on owning my physical limits and acknowledgeing and managing pain and eating better etc .... in a nutshell I have Degenerative disc disease from top to toe, osteo arthritis, fibromyalgia, nerve and weakness in body. Sacroliiac seperation, amongst other things.

All the jobs are outside in this glorious weather, you the individual have choices, work with me, your support worker, on your own or as a little team or come to be social. just let me know so I don't delegate any jobs to you.

3 bodies with different abilities can work together to complete jobs they wouldn't have been able to on your own.

Everything is pretty much is up to you the volunteer, there are heavy and hard physical jobs that some people love and other jobs that are routine like duck waters, animal cuddles, feeding, wild bird feeders and bird baths to be re fill. Really bits of everything.

I want you to get to know you and about your diagnosis and what that looks like for you. Let's have fun, laugh, relax and breathe in the sunshine and fresh air, take in the calm energy of the animals following us around.

I have normal toilets and toilet frames and I am saving and working out how to get funding to build wheelchair people facilities so everyone is included and not excluded.

This is a safe peaceful place for all to be in. Acceptance and kindness. Caring about each other.

As a volunteer you also get free entry at any other times, if you would like to visit as you know the farm and the animals. Just let me know.

I'm happy to share lots of gardening cuttings and plants when we divide plants.

This is for anyone, any age. We are getting a lovely mixed bag of people of differing abilities, ages, backgrounds and personalities. We are not a drop and leave type service, if you have support workers, come with them. If you have a mum or dad or grandma come with them.

If your a independant person that's fantastic too as we all come together to put unity in community. 🥰

Some visitors love baking and bring sweet treats for us to share, sit and relax and chat with each other.

The choice is yours. It's your body and you know what it is capable of and if you have the energy.

If you are wanting to loose weight with gentle exercise this might also be just what you need. I have social anxiety when I'm not at the farm but you wouldn't know it. .... I know. but...... when doing something it's so much easier to talk as hands are busy, can talk about the job your doing or get to know each other.

Let me know if there are jobs you love to do, some people like cupboards to organise, get satisfaction from so messy to organised and to others that would overwhelm them.

My background is fostering so lots of training around trauma, all behaviours are communication and how to support and manage those.

My strong love of animals goes hand in hand with real honest people, who are kind, compassionate and understanding as we all have a story.

Let's focus on the ABLE, not the label.

I look forward to meeting you soon.