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Campaign Summary
Willow Haven Care Farm (CIC) is raising funds to reopen and expand life-changing outdoor, animal-led learning for children and young people in our community—especially those who are struggling in mainstream education and need a different setting to feel safe, engaged, and able to learn.
After three years of planning delays and unexpected costs following our relocation, we now have permission in place to move forward—but we need help with urgent startup costs so we can begin delivering funded placements. Your donation will help cover essential repairs and safety works, required training and compliance, equipment and materials for sessions, and day-to-day animal care while we wait for payment cycles to start.
- Who we are: A Community Interest Company providing nature-based, practical learning and care-farm experiences.
- What we’re doing now: Getting our new site ready to deliver alternative education / SEMH placements and small-group sessions.
- Why we need help: Planning delays and upfront compliance costs have created a cashflow gap.
- What donations will pay for: Safety and repair works, training and checks, equipment and learning materials, and animal care.
Our story: why we had to pause, and why we’re ready to restart.
For nearly a decade, Willow Haven (CIC) was previously known as Hundred River Farm (CIC) and during that time we helped local children and families reconnect with nature, animals and food through workshops, holiday activities and hands-on farm experiences. When our host farm tenancy ended, we had to move and rebuild what we’d created—this time at Willow Haven, near Beccles.
Even though our structures are temporary and removable, the new site required a full planning application and additional professional reports. It became a long, expensive and draining process for a small community organisation. As our founder Jackie put it, it felt like “drowning in a sea of administrative red tape”.
We adapted. Planning permission is now in place, and we’re focusing our delivery on supported placements and small-group provision for young people who are not thriving in mainstream education—particularly those who respond best to practical, outdoor learning with animals and nature as the anchor.
Why we need help now.
We have been accepted onto a local authority framework for social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) support, which means we can begin delivering funded placements. However, delivering safely and legally requires upfront investment in training, checks, equipment and preparing the site. There is also a timing challenge: with the new academic year still several months away, we need to line up participants in advance while continuing to cover day-to-day running costs. In the meantime, we will be hosting introductory and engagement sessions to begin building relationships with young people and referral partners, ahead of full delivery. Once placements do begin, payment schedules can mean waiting 6–8 weeks (or longer) before income is received.
What your donation will fund.
- Site repairs and safety works (basic repairs, materials, making areas safe for learners): £645
- Required training and certification (safeguarding, background checks and other essential training): £300
- Insurance: £600 (six months of cover)
- Session equipment and learning materials (waterproofs, PPE, practical activity resources): £310
- Animal care while we restart delivery (animal feed, bedding, routine welfare costs): £1,400
- Access and visitor management (access track, signage and water/handwashing provision): £1000
Total Amount Needed: £4,255
If you’re not sure what to give:
- £7.70 helps keep the animals fed for one day
- £25 backs the materials and kit that make sessions hands-on and real
- £50 goes straight into making the site safe, repaired and ready
- £100 helps unlock reopening — covering a month's worth of insurance we can’t run without
Every contribution plays a part in getting us back open and making this space available again.
How else can you support?
We know that not everyone is in a position to contribute financially, but there are other meaningful ways to be part of this next chapter. We are actively looking for adult and skilled volunteers to support us in the run-up to opening—whether that’s helping prepare the site, supporting animal care, sharing practical skills, or assisting with early sessions. If you believe in what we’re building, your time, experience or voice can make a real difference.
Whilst we intend to work with local partners to identify suitable participants for the new academic year, we are also open to expressions of interest and referrals from the public for our trial sessions. If you know a young person aged 8–18 who may benefit from spending time in a supportive, nature-based setting, we would love to hear from you. Please note that participants must be able to travel to the site, as there is currently no public transport access.
Even if you’re not able to donate, sharing the campaign, referring a young person, or helping us spread the word would mean a great deal and helps us move one step closer to reopening.
If you’re interested in getting involved, we’d be glad to hear from you.
What will change because of your support
- We can begin delivering placements and small-group sessions sooner, rather than waiting for reserves we do not have.
- Young people who need a calmer, practical environment can access consistent, supported time outdoors with animals.
- We can operate safely and compliantly from day one, with the right training, systems and equipment in place.
- We can share updates with supporters as we reopen and restart delivery.
Our Plan (next 6 months)
Months 1–2: Stabilise and make safe
- Complete urgent repairs and safety works across the site, including fencing, pathways and key structures. Put essential systems in place (handwashing, signage, access improvements) and begin required training, checks and compliance processes so we can operate safely and legally from day one.
Months 3–4: Prepare and engage
- Set up learning areas, equipment and materials ready for delivery. Start building relationships with local partners, schools and referrers, while opening up expressions of interest to families. Run a small number of introductory and engagement sessions to test activities, refine delivery and begin working with young people on site.
Months 5–6: Build towards full delivery
- Confirm referrals and line up placements for the new academic year. Continue hosting introductory sessions and volunteer days to strengthen the offer, build confidence in the setting, and ensure everything is ready to scale. By the end of this period, the site will be fully prepared to begin regular, funded placements, with income starting to flow shortly after delivery begins.
About Willow Haven Care Farm (CIC)
Willow Haven Care Farm is a Community Interest Company established to deliver community benefit through outdoor learning, care-farm activity and nature connection. Our delivery is rooted in practical experience, safeguarding, and trauma-aware practice. (CIC number: [12245913 ]. Registered address: [9 Crisp Road, Ellingham, Bungay, England, NR35 2HA].)
Our work is dedicated to supporting young people under the age of 18 who need access to alternative educational provision. While there are other care farm facilities in the area, there is currently very limited support available for the specific age and ability range that we aim to serve. We are committed to filling this gap by providing a safe, inclusive, and nurturing environment where young people can build confidence, develop practical skills, and access meaningful learning opportunities tailored to their individual needs.
A Community Interest Company (CIC) is a type of social enterprise set up to benefit the community. Like a normal company, a CIC can trade and earn income—but it has extra safeguards so it stays focused on its social purpose. Profits and assets are primarily used to support the community benefit we exist for, and CICs report on their impact each year.
How we’ll keep you updated
We’ll post regular campaign updates with photos of improvements (where appropriate), progress against the plan above, and stories about what your support is enabling (always shared safely and respectfully). If we exceed our target, we’ll put additional funds into equipment, animal welfare, and expanding session capacity.
Thank you!
Thank you for reading and for supporting Willow Haven Care Farm (CIC). If you can donate, we’ll put your gift straight into reopening safely. If you can’t donate right now, sharing this page with friends, local businesses, and community groups makes a huge difference.