Fortis Foundation

WHAT?

Fortis Foundation (FF) is a not for profit that connects local and National communities to the Countryside and Agricultural sector, providing a protected, sustainable and improved environment through inclusive, community-based education and practical experiential learning.

FF has 100 acres of working farmland and woodland. Our aim is to educate communities from across all across society on the importance of mother nature, agriculture and woodlands.

WHY?

Why do we need to manage and work with mother nature? This is the question asked of everyone that walks through the door at the Fortis foundation. FF will be a charity to ensure that future generations know the importance of protecting and sustaining our countryside and the habitats of our wildlife.

Where do humans come into it? Our communities are the custodians of the land and humans are top of the animal kingdom, so we must ensure the environment is managed to the point where it thrives. We can only do this through education, experiential learning and inclusive, community practical land management.

HOW?

How can it be helped? FF will enable schools, charities (of all kinds) and people from across all communities, particularly from disadvantaged backgrounds an opportunity to learn through practical, experiential learning on the FF Farm on what happens in the rural sector and why we do it. Why do we sheer a sheep? What do we use the wool for? Why do we manage woodland? Why do we manage vermin and predators?

Together with the Fortis and The Fortis Farm we can demonstrate the importance of humans and mother nature working together to help our eco-system thrive.

“FORTIS FUTURE – Together, a strong future”

Who is it for?

Fortis Foundation will deliver an inclusive, structured and safe educational environment for the following groups (But not restricted too).

• Farm School for both primary and secondary.

• Forest School for both primary and secondary.

• Universities.

• Colleges.

• Military charities (Particularly rural charities).

• Families (Promotion of nutrition and healthy lifestyle).

• Local community.

• Food charities.

• Youth organisations (Scouts, Cubs, Guides, Brownies, Cadets etc).

• Mental health groups and charities.

• Elderly community – (Reducing lonelyness, providing interaction with people, animals and nature).

• Education centre for rural sector organisations (BDS?BASC/GWCT, GWA, NGO, CA etc).

• Project Artemis RM: Project Artemis RM is a rural initiative that provides access into the rural sector for Royal Marines (Serving and Veteran), delivering training and work experience within land & wildlife management (primarily with Deer Management) to allow Royal Marines easier transition into the Rural Sector as a future career. FF will be the HQ and epicentre for training, conferences and executive meetings and most importantly, a centre for the Royal Marine community to reconnect with the Rural Community.

EDUCATION

Fortis Foundation aims to become a part of Primary and Secondary School curriculum. The Fortis Foundation would be one of a kind with the ability to use our woodland and farmland together to enhance a child’s education and personal development, in a secure and safe environment.

Fortis Foundation education will not be restricted to children. Adults of all ages, including the elderly, will be welcome to understand what happens within the woodlands and on the farm and what processes there are in order to deliver food from the farm to the fork.

interactive farming

An Apiary and BEE area will be created to produce our own honey within their own wild meadow of wildflowers for harvesting, this will also play host to Hedgehogs and their homes to create its own eco-system within a paddock. A viewing spot will be available to watch the bees at work. A path going to the beehives for maintenance and honey extraction, the meadow will also have a pond for water source.

A chicken pen; hosting 50-100 chickens will be established, producing eggs for a further revenue stream to sustain the Foundation.

Barn internal layout

EDUCATION - Woodland & Forestry

The woodland is a well tracked and maintained woodland with potential for different opportunities throughout. We want children, adults and elderly to connect with the woods, to grow a love, respect and desire to support nature, what better way to achieve this than spending educational and recreational days in the Forces Farming Foundation woodland.

WOOdland education opportunities:

• Forest School

• Woodland management.

• Wildlife conservation. protection and sanctuary.

• Woodland biodiversity. Flora and fauna. (What animals live in the woodlands, inc invertebrates, birds and mammals).

• How is biodiversity measured and monitored?

• What impact invasive, predator and vermin species have on biodiversity and how they are managed.

• Mental health activity days for mindfulness, rest and recuperation.

• Mountain bike and active days.

• Woodland management courses (External companies pay charity).

• Wild harvesting days.

This woodland is managed alongside Forestry England. Containing the best tracked access for communities, including those less abled, reassuringly, the woodland is also accessible by the Emergency services, if the need were to arise.

Education - Farm

We have a purpose-built barn, surrounded by the land, already moulded into the shape we want. The Fortis Foundation infrastructure is here, with some development FF will be the centre of education for our community. Safe, assured and structured. Along with the woodland, there are multiple opportunities for the farm to help educate and help people understand agriculture and how it integrates with the land.

As with the woodland, FF aims to become a part of Primary and Secondary School curriculum, to use our farm to enhance a child’s education and personal development, in a secure and safe environment.

Education would not be restricted to children. Adults of all ages, including the elderly, will be welcome to understand what happens on the farm and what processes there are in order to deliver food from the farm to the fork.

Additionally, Farming education can be tailored to all levels and abilities. Whether you are a Primary or a University level student, FF will encourage debate on farming and how it can work with the environment in a sustainable manner.

Farming education opportunities:

• Livestock management. (Why do we have livestock? Why do we sheer sheep? Why are supplements given to livestock etc?

• Food production (How is cheese made, why do we milk cows?)

• Carbon management (Carbon foot print, Carbon offsetting, Carbon sequestration, Environmental Land Management).

• Conservation (Installing bird boxes in the barns, erecting owl poles).

• How does our farm work with the wildlife?

• Why should the barns and other areas support all kinds of wildlife?

• What farmers should be doing to encourage natural wildlife to thrive.

• Supporting local, seasonal foods for environmental management.

• Sustainable, ethical farming for meat (What’s the process of meat eating?).

• What impact invasive, predator and vermin species have on farming and biodiversity and how they are managed.

• Water conservation.

• Soil conservation.

• Farming work experience (Water filling, hay distribution and why?).

• Farm animal breed, including rare breeds.

Rural community welfare hub:

Rural communities have always been the unsung heroes, working long hours, all year long and

have kept our Countryside flourishing. The cost of this commitment is well documented, those working in the Rural sector are vulnerable to significant, constant stress, often endured in isolation. Opportunities to reflect, rest and recuperate are rare. Mental and physical health are often is often impacted. Through experience, Fortis Foundation knows the value in having peer group support to offload. Expanding on this identified need, FF will be a Rural Community Centre for essential welfare support. We are in no doubt this will be, for some, the difference between failure or success for some within the sector and potentially, on rare occasion, lifesaving.

FORTIS WELFARE SUPPORT

• Rural networking events that will deliver respite from work, new contacts, opportunity to discuss and share best practice, seek collaboration and peer group support.

• Project Artemis RM. An opportunity for Royal Marines (Serving and veteran) to reconnect with rural communities to build stonger ties with the Nation they serve.

• Gamekeepers support centre (Meet, relax, share best practice, seek support).

• Charity venue for Coffee mornings (Cancer charities, British Heart foundation etc).

• Elderly community welfare support. Elderly within the rural community face a unique

challenge in being separated from the sector they have dedicated their life too. FF will provide a safe environment to maintain the connection.

• Conference centre: Lecture room for seminars and best practice days. Breakfasts, Lunches, dinners and events for rural communities. Including farmers, where keepers and hunters could find new management opportunity and land to shoot.

• Gamekeeper mentoring and professional development centre. Working with agricultural colleges and BASC, Fortis Farming Foundation can deliver coaching and mentoring for developing young keepers to build resilience and confidence within their roles.

• Firearms Education Hub (FEB): Act as a centre for the Police Firearms Enquiries Officers for Devon & Cornwall and Dorset Constabularies to interact with Firearms holders and Registered Firearms Dealers to promote a Firearms Best Practice Culture and to provide a centre for education and enquiries to take place. This will engender greater cohesion between the Police and the Rural Sector.

• Conservation Seminar venue: The Fortis Farm Foundation offers a unique venue for all with a view on conservation to work with the Rural Communities, to promote education and collaboration.

Cafe’ & gardens:

Central to FF will be the Café and gardens, a dedicated area for essential facilities, refreshments, sustenance and rest.

A huge area is available, the vision is for a courtyard, with a pond, a vegetable garden, winding pathways and a sit-down area, all surrounded by a wild flower garden, specifically selected to support an apiary of bee hives.

The café will champion seasonal, organic, local sustainable foods including our farmed meats, wild game and of course, good coffee.

In addition, the café gardens will have a focus on conservation, specifically hedgehogs, providing access, habitat and supporting a local rehoming programme for the declining animal.

Encasing the seating area will be a Cider orchard, providing shade and apples. The café will sell apple juice and cider. The orchard will also be supportive of hedgehog habitats.

Next to the wild flower garden would be an apple orchard, where would intend in putting in soft play, and an area to roam that is enclosed and safe for children and dogs.

The café will be central to the FF corporate message of sustainable farming, environmental management and community engagement. A perfect location to promote the foundation positive messages across social media. The café will provide an income stream to assist in the financial sustainment and build future growth of the foundation.

livestock (rare & uncommon breeds:

Internal (barn)

• Sheep (Inside and outside)

• Cows (In and out)

• Goats (In and out)

• Horses (In and out)

• Donkeys (In and out)

• Alpaca (In and out)

• Maybe deer.

External

• Pigs

• Chickens

• Bees

• Hedgehogs • Horses

Guided horse, pony and donkey rides around the woodlands will be available, to provide a unique experience to view and understand nature and the outdoors. Options for other animals will be explored for community interaction, providing new opportunities for education.

Livestock will be arriving at the Foundation gradually, priority will be given to:

• Bees

• Hedgehogs • Sheep

• Goats

• Donkeys

• Alpaca

• Pigs

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Long-term funding streams:

• Installation of Coffee shop, Orchard and Bee garden. A destination.

• Fortis Farm is still an active farm, so will still sell lambs, piglets and wool. All funds are then reinvested into the foundation for growth.

• Donations from individuals and companies for example, Fortis clothing will use a gift aid on their website as their direct support organisation.

• Company chosen charitable causes.

• Auction days

• Wildlife trusts/organisations and charities

• Agreed charitable events to raise funds to support the charity. i.e., children’s days (tours of the farm and animal interactions).

• Website.

• Land experiences and rentals of company days.

• Woodland days would expand to tough mudder style challenged races with its well-tracked-in road system.

• Professional sold course days. For example, food courses, deer processing courses etc. All of these professional companies pay the charity for the space allocated for those hours used.

• A NFU supported charity possibly and other companies.

• National Lottery Heritage and Community funds.

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Foundation summary

Our communities, our children and most importantly our environment needs this, we are perfectly situated, half way set up and accessible. This isn’t an opportunity that arises often and I believe we will make it so unique and special that many will leave with further education, enjoyed and a good taste in their mouth, if not just from the good coffee.

I hope this foundation Idea shows something unique, in a brilliant location for a great cause. I believe I have the passion and the drive to make this a destination and an example for good educational practices. I want to show the fashion industry that money can be used to make a difference and our environment and wildlife need protecting! We aim to do this by practicing what we preach!

a fortis future - a strong future