New Hub offers animal assisted services and land based opportunities and is the second Social Enterprise Hub to open in Cambridgeshire this year.
On Wednesday 5 March, local people came together to celebrate the opening of a new building at Wisbech Community Farm which will help increase the reach of this invaluable resource.
Representatives from Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA), along with the Mayor of Wisbech and key funders were all present to cut the ribbon alongside Katie Bristow, Director of Operations at People and Animals UK to mark this milestone.
Open since 2018, Wisbech Community Farm helps local residents to gain confidence, develop skills and improve their wellbeing through animal assisted services, social therapeutic horticulture and other land-based opportunities. The farm has grown to support more than 600 children, families and adults each month, strengthening community cohesion and intergenerational connections.
Combining sustainable, carbon neutral energy solutions with accessible facilities, the new community hub will enable the farm to increase its offer for local people and reduce the waiting list for support, whilst developing opportunities to help social enterprises in the area to thrive.
The project has been funded by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority’s (CPCA) Market Towns programme partnering with Social Enterprise East of England, with match funding from Cambridgeshire County Council, Cambridgeshire Community Foundation and The National Lottery Community Fund, the farm has also received support from Anglian Water’s @one Alliance and Strategic Pipeline Alliance.
“It’s fantastic to see so many organisations coming together to support Wisbech Community Farm which does such important work locally. I was delighted to support the new building and am sure that this will mean that the farm will go from strength to strength whilst supporting social enterprises.” Dr Nik Johnson, Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.
Deb Lee, Managing Director of SEEE, commented:
“We are thrilled to see this fantastic building become a reality at Wisbech Community Farm. People and Animals’ new expanded offering demonstrates how the power of social enterprise can create lasting change that strengthens rural communities.”
Katie Bristow, Director of Operations at People and Animals UK CIC, said:
“The opening of this new community hub will make such a difference, future proofing our services for generations to come. We’ll be able to reach more local people and provide support to overcome isolation, create pathways into employment and empower residents to achieve independence, reducing pressures on statutory services. We couldn’t have done it without our fantastic network of partners, providing both funding and in-kind support to turn our dream into reality, and for that I am eternally grateful.”
To find out more about the support on offer through the Wisbech Community Farm visit their Facebook page for the latest information.
CPCA Market Towns Programme (Phase 2) – Supporting Social Enterprises in Rural Areas
In July 2020, the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) allocated £13.1m capital investment to mobilise eleven market town masterplans to support interventions in each of CPCA’s main market towns and to act as a funding catalyst to securing additional investment. This £2.5m fund is a continuation of that effort to tackle the long-standing challenges surrounding market towns over the next 2 years, with a particular focus on strengthening local communities and supporting the Social Enterprise ecosystem. The Programme looks to build on the first Market towns funding but with a particular focus on targeting this capital spending on people-based initiatives – including community owned businesses, social enterprises, and educational support.