Homesense

Seashell Trust provides education and 52-week residential care for 135 children and young people aged 2 to 25 with profound learning disabilities and sensory impairments. Our children and young people have some of the most complex needs and disabilities including deafness, blindness and autism, combined with physical disabilities and profound learning difficulties. All have some brain damage and little or no ability to communicate. We also offer Short Break (respite) provision for young people whose families are often at the point of breakdown. In addition, our award-winning Children’s Able and Disabled Sports (CADS) Programme provides inclusive sporting opportunities for over 500 youngsters. We help individuals develop the ability to communicate and make independent choices about basic everyday needs, sometimes for the first time in their lives. As well as empowering our children and young people, we work with families to build the confidence needed to bring up a severely disabled child.

YMCA Taunton is part of the largest and oldest charity working with young people in the world. We want to: Invest in young people to help them reach their full potential, by providing for all ages including Youth Services, Ofsted approved pre-school education, sport and other activity. Strengthen families; be at the heart of the local community, supporting the whole community; providing a safe supportive environment for all. Encourage health and wellbeing for all, through activity and sport. Respond effectively to the needs of the most vulnerable children, young people and families; through youth activities, advice and guidance. Work closely with parents and partner organisations. Fulfil our Christian mission by bringing peace, justice and hope to broken lives. To create supportive, inclusive and energising communities where young people belong. We have currently been working with our young people on a fruitful communities project to start with our outdoor area. We aim to have a tidy space that the young people can have a sense of pride, belonging and take ownership of their achievements. To designate their area and improve health and safety we would like to add a small perimeter fence. This project will give the young people involved opportunity of learning many new skills including construction, landscaping, creativity, risk assessing and working as part of a team. We continue to work with the young people on the importance of maintaining the area.

We are the only city farm in Wales we help to reconnect people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities with their food, their environment and each other through a unique and exciting range of educational, volunteering, training and play opportunities. Our 3.5 acre fully accessible site demonstrates a range of sustainability and nature conservation management techniques as well as hosting a range of rare and rare-Welsh breed farm animals. We are increasingly being seen and used, both locally and regionally, as an exemplar project in promoting healthy living, environmental sustainability and community participation, empowerment and cohesion. Farm Programmes: • Child & Youth: develops skills, confidence and knowledge through engagement in the running and development of Farm activities and free play opportunities within a safe, supportive and stimulating environment. • Volunteer & Training: adult volunteers participate in the running and development of the Farm, equipping them with knowledge, skills and confidence to move forward in life and contribute positively to the Farm and wider communities. • Education: school visits/courses based on outdoor, practical, experiential learning and investigating a range of environment and food related issues. • Grounds & Buildings: maintenance and development of our site and neighbouring green spaces to demonstrate a range of growing, sustainability, and conservation management techniques. • Farm animals: as a small working farm we stock a range of animals, providing food for the plate and promoting increased awareness of food production issues. • Farm Café: informal and accredited training in cooking healthy food and serving affordable meals for Farm users and visitors.