Jamie's Farm May Update
Jamie's Farm - Update May 2009
Welcome, to the latest Jamie’s Farm newsletter, your seasonal update to the exciting goings-on down on the farm. We have some exciting news for you…
WE ARE A CHARITY
WE HAVE A NEW WEBSITE
WE HAVE MORE PICTURES – CLICK HERE
That’s right, after several months of waiting, the Charity Commission has granted Jamie’s Farm registered charity status – number 1129544. This has enabled us to receive money donated to us, as well as claim gift aid on private donations.
After months of fine tuning, our brand new website is finally up and running. It includes pictures, videos, testimonies and even the opportunity to make a donation online. To visit the website, and marvel at its wonderful content, click here.
Visits
Since our last update we have had several successful trips. These have included visits from Globe Academy’s Year 7 nurture group and Kids Company’s after school group and their Education Group. All these groups have made the most of the opportunities presented by the improving weather, with long walks and more time spent enjoying the surroundings in the evenings. They all got to help feed our new born lambs, with many young people helping in their delivery.
In addition, Globe Academy helped construct a wonderful chicken run for our adolescent chooks, while all the groups have been involved in planting in the vegetable garden. We are now beginning to harvest the fruits of their labour. We have also bought more resources for the art room, with several of the groups having the chance to get creative with clay – my personal favourite creations being a life sized salamander and a larger than life beef burger.
On the Farm
The last couple of months have seen some big changes on the farm, the most noticeable of which being the flock of new lambs running around. Following a successful lambing season we currently have 83 sheep. We have also been blessed with our first twin heifers from one of our Aberdeen Angus cows while Maxwell the bull and his friend are delighted to be roaming the fields, and sometimes the lanes, around the farm.
Following a shocking badger strike, we are currently incubating our first batch of ducks, which are due to hatch in June. We have had several groups of piglets come through the farm, and have borrowed a big boar from neighbouring farmer Julien to keep our lady pigs company.
Bored of reading? – Click here to look at the pictures
Official Launch
Sunday, 17th May saw the Official Launch of Jamie’s Farm. Despite the unsettled weather, our guests came in high spirits and enjoyed a walk around the immaculately tidy farm before settling down to a wonderful luncheon of Jamie’s Farm gammon and locally produced food and drink – much of it provided by Hartley Farm Shop.
Our guests included the MP for Bath, the High Sheriff of Wiltshire and the Managing Director of ARK schools. However, the stars of the day were Marvin and Ernestina from Globe Academy, who returned with their teachers to talk about their experiences down on the farm and explain what it has meant to them. Marvin did particularly well, answering questions with confidence in his live interview with Jonathan Dimbleby, our trustee.
The event was a huge success, and many people made kind donations to the charity.
Thank yous
Each newsletter the list of people who have helped us gets longer and longer, a sign of the growing support we are receiving. A by no means exhaustive list includes:
Miles Essex for our wonderful website design and Matt Leeson for its coding.
Sam Charrington for his graphic design work.
Alex and Ben Reynolds, Henry Trew, Jon Hanna and Tanya Ashby for their support during visits
Emma Carney, Matt Leeson, Andrew Jutsum and Suzie Legge for their hard work and support during the launch.
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer for the kind donation of office space and a meeting rooms in London
The Carnie clan for their continued support and constant help.
That’s all from us for now, please visit the website and look at our new pictures, and forward this on to your friends. If you have any suggestions, donations or other offers of help we would love to hear from you.
All the best,
The Jamie’s Farm team.
