Solihull farm helps learning disabled adults find work
"The farm showed me there was light in the world and not just darkness."Moving out and living alone for the first time is a big deal for most 24-year-olds, but it was a huge step for Anna Botting.She has learning disabilities and has been working with Newlands Bishop Farm.The Solihull-based holding helps young adults like her learn skills and gain employment, both on the farm and in the local community.
This idyllic farm is open to the public on weekends and you can even get married there. But it's a seven-day operation changing the lives of adults who are locked out of work, according to bosses.
Not only have they helped Ms Botting gain skills, they have helped her get into a supported living scheme in nearby Hampton-in-Arden. She said it allowed her to experience true independence for the first time."When I was in school I really struggled with work and friendships, so when I found the farm I felt like I belonged here," she explained.
The same is true of Andrea Long, who has been attending the farm for three years. She has gained work experience at local charities and businesses like the PDSA and Hilton."Through most of my life I found it hard to find somewhere I fit in," the 23-year-old said."I feel empowered to do a lot of things I would have struggled with in the past. I feel treated like an adult."
The farm is run by the Family Care Trust charity, which is celebrating its 30th year. It hires 18 adults with learning disabilities at the farm, and helps others get work at nearby businesses in the borough. Chief executive Daniel Adams said some found themselves overlooked, despite having a valuable contribution to make.
"It can be easier to put in physical things in buildings like lifts for people in wheelchairs, for example," Mr Adams said. "It's more of a challenge coming up with processes to help adults with learning disabilities be engaged in the world of work and find jobs in the community. "Our goal is to give people the skills so they can move on to employment."
Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
5 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Chilling mayday call from pilot of doomed plane before it plunges into ocean
The Coast Guard confirmed on Sunday that all six people on board the doomed aircraft that crashed into the ocean near San Diego after taking off from San Diego International Airport have died In yet another American aviation tragedy, a small plane carrying six people nosedived into the ocean shortly after takeoff on Sunday with authorities confirming that the crash claimed the lives of everyone on board. The doomed twin-engine Cessna 414 crashed at around 12.30pm on Sunday in San Diego, just three miles west of Point Loma. The Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) has confirmed the deaths of all six passengers, but their identities are pending official release. Harrowing audio from air traffic control, shared by CBS 8, captured the pilot's desperate plea for higher altitude immediately after leaving San Diego International Airport. The aircraft barely managed to reach 1000ft during its doomed ascent, with the pilot uttering "mayday" over the radio before falling silent. Coast Guard crews swiftly located a debris field off the coast near San Diego's Point Loma area on Sunday. According to The Associated Press reports, the ocean at the crash site has a depth of around 200ft. Following the devastating incident, the Coast Guard launched a major search operation, involving a Jayhawk helicopter, a fixed-wing aircraft, a cutter, and two smaller boats, continuing their search until dusk. "We've located a debris field, but I don't have details on its size yet," Coast Guard Petty Officer Ryan Graves told NBC 7 shortly before 3.30pm on Sunday. A surfer told NBC 7 about the chilling moment he saw the aircraft plummet: "The next time he came out of the clouds, he went straight into the water. But after I saw this splash, about six seconds later, it was dead silent. I knew that they went in the water, nose first, at a high speed," Tyson Wislofsky revealed. After confirming that the doomed plane belongs to vitamin producers Optimal Health Systems, there's been an update from the company that the FAA records might be behind the times. The Arizona-based firm, which sold the plane just this year, said it passed to private hands. Founder Doug Grant joined in mourning, stating: "We personally know several of the passengers onboard, and our sincerest condolences are offered to those affected by the tragedy, all of whom are incredible members of our small community."
Daily Record
4 days ago
- Daily Record
Items recovered from 1859 tragic Ayrshire shipwreck to go on display at museum
The SS Eagle is seen as an unprecedented example of an almost intact cargo of 19th century Glaswegian ceramics. A collection of rare 19th century ceramics recovered from the wreck of the 1857 iron steamship SS Eagle off Lamlash Bay, Arran, last year, will go on display for the first time in the Scottish Maritime Museum's Summer exhibition which opens tomorrow. The 'Beneath the Waves' exhibition, which goes on show in the museum's Linthouse building on Irvine Harbourside, brings together the historic ceramic collection, award-winning underwater photography and an artist's detailed marine sketches to celebrate the extraordinary world beneath the ocean's surface. The SS Eagle launched from the Dumbarton yard of Alexander Denny in July 1857. The 324 tonne steamer was acquired by the McConnel and Laird Line of Glasgow in June 1859 for service as a passenger and cargo vessel. Just five months later, on November 28, 1859, SS Eagle sank after colliding with a sailing boat, the Pladda, whilst en route from Glasgow to Londonderry with a general cargo, two hundred sheep and fifty four passengers. Eleven lives were lost. The SS Eagle ceramics, which were discovered by Oban-based diver and maritime explorer Graeme Bruce and team in July 2024, were made by Glasgow-based Bell's Pottery. Bell's Pottery was established by brothers John and Matthew Perston Bell in late 1840 or 1841. The site at the corner of Stafford Street and Pulteney Street was close to the Forth & Clyde Canal which was used to transport goods and raw materials. According to the Scottish Pottery Society, Bell's Pottery export wares have been found as far afield as South America, the Far East, Australia and Canada. The last piece of Bell's Pottery was probably made around 1912. In the 19th century, Glasgow was a major centre for the production of ceramics and rivalled the Staffordshire potteries. Bell's Pottery itself is recognised as arguably the most internationally significant producer of ceramic wares in Scotland at the time. The lack of surviving pottery from Glasgow's industrial ceramics period, which spanned three centuries from 1748 to the mid 1980's, makes the SS Eagle's ceramic tableware nationally significant. The SS Eagle collection features ceramics destined for trade and exhibition in Londonderry, Northern Island, and artefacts from the ship's galley. Exhibits include seven plates and a bowl, a teapot lid and two bottles which still hold 'sparkling water' in addition to a decanter and bell. Complementing the SS Eagle ceramics, 'Beneath the Waves' also features cups and plates from the Scottish Maritime Museum's own national maritime heritage collection as well as four vessels dating back to the Roman Empire on loan from North Ayrshire Heritage Centre. Eva Bukowska, Exhibitions and Events Officer at the Scottish Maritime Museum, said: "We are really excited to host the first showing of these fascinating ceramics recovered from SS Eagle. The vessel also has a significance for the Museum as it was built by Alexander Denny, who was the brother of William Denny, whose test tank is now home to our second collection in Dumbarton." Graeme Bruce added: "Diving has been my great passion for 35 years. For me, a shipwreck is a 'time capsule' hidden from view over time by the sea. The privilege of being able to explore and connect with the past is beyond description. Enabling the artefacts from shipwrecks like this Bell's Pottery collection to then have a new life on show for everyone to learn from and appreciate is so important. Connecting people with a heritage like this means everything to me and those I dive with." 'Beneath the Waves' exhibition has been curated in collaboration with renowned underwater photographer, marine conservationist and writer Lawson Wood; diver, maritime explorer and retired engineer Graeme Bruce; and Ayrshire underwater artist and writer Christina Riley. In the exhibition, Lawson Wood, who enjoyed his first scuba dive aged 11 years, draws on 60 years of underwater photography. His images reveal the captivating world of marine life and range from colourful tropical fish and seals to corals and anemones. Christina Riley's work focuses on the small details of complex and beautiful marine ecosystems. The exhibition features a selection of photographs and pencil drawings created during her time as a snorkelling-artist-in-residence at the Argyll Hope Spot. Part of the global Mission Blue initiative led by the renowned oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle, the Hope Spots project highlights areas critical to the health of the ocean. Other Hope Spots include the Galapagos Islands and the Great Barrier Reef. Visitors can also learn more about freediving and how this ancient practice has advanced our understanding of marine archaeology and conservation. 'Beneath the Waves' runs from Saturday, June 7 to Saturday, September 13. Admission to 'Beneath the Waves' is included in Museum admission. The museum is open daily from 10am until 5pm. Up to three children go FREE with each Adult/Concession ticket.
NBC News
5 days ago
- NBC News
Father and daughter found dead on Maine hike were long drawn to mountain, family says
A New York father and daughter whose bodies were found on a mountain in Maine earlier this week had planned the hike while on a work trip. Tim Keiderling, 58, of Ulster Park, was found dead Tuesday in the Tablelands area on Mount Katahdin. The body of his 28-year-old daughter, Esther Keiderling, was discovered Wednesday afternoon about 1,000 feet away, between two trails off the Tablelands, Baxter State Park said. Tim was a father of six and a grandfather of two. He and Esther were very close, Tim's brother, Joe Keiderling, said. They both worked for Rifton Equipment, a New York-based medical supply company. "Tim was utterly unique," the brother said in a statement Thursday. "Many young men and women remember him as an elementary school teacher who could hold them spellbound with wildly imaginative stories and escapades in the woods and fields of the Hudson Valley he called home." In his free time, Tim enjoyed tending and growing fruit, such as strawberries and blueberries, and was a beekeeper. His faith was important to him, his brother said. Tim was a member of the Bruderhof Communities, a Christian community in which people share all their possessions, including money, its website states. "At church gatherings, Tim was a regular contributor, not only as a lay pastor but as a gifted storyteller, bringing life and vitality to familiar Bible stories and making them relevant to the issues of the day," Joe said. "At home, he was the consummate host and loved nothing more than lively conversation and a great laugh." Esther was quiet but "deeply sensitive," Joe said. "She loved reading and writing, with a particular fondness for the poets Gerard Manley Hopkins and Edna St. Vincent Millay," her uncle said. She kept a WordPress blog and wrote posts on the platform Substack. On Saturday, she wrote a post on Substack that she and her father were in Maine for a sales trip and had planned a hike, WMTW reported. She said she was "a little nervous" about the hike because of everything she had read about the Abol Trail, according to the news station. Joe Keiderling confirmed to NBC News that the pair had traveled to Maine for work for trainings for therapists on adaptive equipment for kids with disabilities. He said they decided to take a weekend vacation and "climb a mountain that had always attracted them." The park said the pair went missing Sunday after they left Abol Campground to hike the summit. The trail's difficulty is listed as very strenuous on the park's website. Water is limited after the first mile, and the trail is fully exposed after two and a half miles, it says. Authorities launched an extensive search Monday after their vehicle was found parked in a day-use lot. A park official said Thursday that the medical examiner's office will determine how the pair died. There is no evidence of criminal activity, the official said, and investigators are trying to determine why the bodies were found apart.
