Introduction

Ponderosa Rural Crafts offers a wide range of work based activities that can help and develop lots of different needs. We offer this service to people who have different needs i.e. physical disabilities, learning disabilities, depression, stroke victims and anyone who feels that we can offer them a service.

We have many different areas of the farm where work activities are held; we always give informed choice so those clients can decide where they would like to work throughout the day. The areas are as follows:

Greenhouse:

The greenhouse offers a wide choice of learning needs to suite different needs the most popular of these being:

Filling plant pots, seed trays, sowing seeds, pricking out, potting cuttings, planting out, and making hanging baskets to name a few.

We also undertake work on the land and gardens to the side of the greenhouses where we grow and harvest our own fruit and vegetables, which are prepared and used in the canteen for dinners.

Gardening Group:

The gardening group mainly work outside during summer and wintertime, this work is aimed at clients who want to be active and who are not as bothered about the weather conditions. The group look after all of the garden and planting areas throughout Ponderosa farm, generally cutting grass, propagation of perennials, annuals and shrubs. Looking after hedgerows, turfing, making festive wreaths, floristry and cleaning up after themselves giving them a basic understanding of health and safety which is paramount in work.

We have recently started an outside landscaping service; we are currently working on our first school, which is proving to be very successful.

This not only provides a great learning area but also helps to improve social skills.

Craft Shop:

This is a recent addition to Ponderosa; it is a rather large coffee/craft shop, which is situated on the road leading out of Ponderosa farm. We are keen to improve confidence in this area, as social skills are required when customers need to be served. We can teach basic domestic skills like making refreshments and snacks etc. and serving them to customers, washing and ironing and general cleaning like hoovering and dusting.

Our clients make most of the craft goods that are sold in the shop, like, pottery painting, making seasonal/birthday cards, gift tags, glass painting, knitted dolls and sewing pillowcases, peg bags and toilet roll holders.

In summer we pick our own apples and strawberries and make jams, sauces and pickled onions, which are sold, in the craft shop.

Cardboard Recycling:

This gives clients the knowledge and teaches the importance of recycling materials. Local companies donate cardboard; this is where the process starts:

We clean the cardboard taking off the labels and sellotape; the cardboard is then put through shredders, which shred the cardboard into small pieces. It is then weighed and transferred by hand into a bailing machine. Once this has been done the bails are transferred to Ponderosa farm where the cardboard is used for animal bedding.

Health and safety is also paramount in this area and cleaning is required constantly, we have around 8-10 clients working in this area at any one time.

Worm Beds

Once the animals soil the bedding it is then transferred to the worm beds. Clients finish the recycling process by watering and emptying the beds and refilling where necessary. They then mix and make soil improver using a concrete mixer. This is then used for growing shrubs and cuttings.

Plastics Workshop

Clients help to assist our joiners assembling garden and street furniture from recycled plastics, they assist the joiners by drilling holes for nuts and bolts, using electric screwdrivers and cutting equipment and helping to keep the workshop clean for health and safety purposes. Clients are shown how to lift and carry objects safely and correctly. Aims & Objectives

The prime function of the projects is to provide day care for adults with learning disabilities and/or other problems.

The staff work along with the clients putting a strong emphasis on building relationships and trust between clients and staff in order to generate a sense of stability and security.

We will help the clients to plan their own day, providing them with informed choice and positive opportunities. Praise and appreciation will enable clients to see what they are achieving. We realise that some people need more support than others to achieve their aims. Meals

A balanced 2-course meal is provided every day, which is cooked on site by our own chef. We endeavour to cater for people with specific requirements upon request, but we do need to know this on first meeting you so that we can try to accommodate.

Refreshments of tea, coffee and dilute pop are provided throughout the day whenever clients ask.

General

Throughout the year we will receive weekly letters, monthly newsletters and information on forthcoming fund-raising events. We do appreciate any parental involvement for our ongoing fund-raising projects so feel free to ask if you can help. From time to time we hold social evenings where parents and carers can come to the farm and find out what we have achieved and to help us to raise money.