New renovation project at Greenacres takes flight thanks to support from trainees at the Defence Helicopter Flying School at RAF Shawbury

Greenacres team with the trainee pilots from the Defence Helicopter Flying School at RAF Shawbury.

A new renovation project at a local farm that provides learning and training opportunities for adults living with learning disabilities has swiftly taken off thanks to help from a group of trainee military helicopter pilots.

Greenacres Farm is a 16-acre smallholding farm run by Shropshire Council’s adult social care team. It supports 30 adults to engage in meaningful outcome-focused activity supporting and promoting independence and social inclusion. Individuals attending the farm are involved in a variety of rural-based activities, from managing poultry and livestock to growing perennial garden, bedding and basket plants, as well as soft fruit, vegetables and Christmas trees. All produce is then either sold fresh, or turned into jams, pickles and chutneys and is sold at the farm shop and various outlets.

Greenacres Farm has recently received funding from Shropshire Council to improve facilities at the farm, which include:-

• Renovation of the existing potting shed building to house a modern shop, staff office and meeting room
• Construction of a new purpose-built building for the day service, which will include a conservatory and commercial kitchen.
• Refurbishment of the existing shower block with new showers, toilets, washing and drying facilities which will include installing solar power and improving insulation making the building more eco-friendly.

These improvements will ensure that the facilities at Greenacres are more suitable for people with a wider range of abilities and ensure Greenacres is a nicer place to be for the people accessing the service.

To ensure the funds could be used specifically for the building work, Tracey Dufton, Service Manager in adult social care, approached the Defence Helicopter Flying School (DHFS) at RAF Shawbury to see if they could provide ‘people power’ to assist with the groundwork preparation needed prior to the build.

DHFS were more than happy to help such a worthwhile cause, and 14 Army and RAF trainees came to provide support as part of their community engagement work.

The work, which began on Monday 23 April 2018, involved dismantling and moving the existing shop building making way for the new, proposed day service building. The military trainees also dismantled two very old greenhouses to make way for an outdoor retail display area adjacent to a proposed new shop. With some carpentry help from Greenacres staff, the trainees used the dismantled material to reconstruct one good greenhouse in a new location on the farm.

Military trainees levelling the concrete work- photo MOD Crown Copyright 2018.

Other work involved breaking up and levelling a raised concrete area in preparation for a new retail display area, as well as painting two large chicken houses, several benches and gates and railings around the farm. The team also erected new fencing to enclose a paddock that will shortly house the farm’s new Hebridean sheep.

Military trainees erecting fences – photo MOD Crown Copyright 2018.

Lee Chapman, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for health, adult social care and housing, said:-

“I would like to say a huge thanks to the 14 Army and RAF trainees from the Defence Helicopter Flying School at RAF Shawbury for their fantastic support: this was a huge commitment from the base and everybody has worked immensely hard all week.”

On Thursday the RAF Shawbury Station Commander and DHFS Commandant, Group Captain Chuck Norris and Lieutenant Colonel Jon Dufton, Commanding Officer 9 Regt Army Air Corps, flew in to visit the farm in one of the training helicopters to see the work their men had completed. They also met the people who use the day service and staff. The visit proved to be an exciting opportunity for all at Greenacres to see a helicopter close up.

Greenacres team – photo MOD Crown Copyright 2018.

Greenacres team – photo MOD Crown Copyright 2018.

Group Captain Norris said:

“We are very grateful for the support of the local community, including Shropshire Council and local parish councils; this support enables us to deliver world-leading training at RAF Shawbury. We are particularly pleased to be able to support Greenacres Farm as Shropshire Council has signed the Armed Forces Covenant and leads the Shropshire Covenant partnership.

“This was also an excellent opportunity for this course to develop their teamwork, communication and leadership skills before commencing flying training on the new Juno helicopter which has recently entered service as part of the UK Military Flying Training System.”

On the final day of the week (Friday 27 April), Greenacres invited the military trainees, Lt Col Dufton, Lee Chapman and BBC Radio Shropshire to join them for a BBQ brunch on a very rainy Friday morning where the trainee helicopter pilots were presented with a Greenacres hamper by Liam Cox, who attends Greenacres, as a thank you.

Tracey Dufton, giving thanks to the support from DHFS, said:-

“Work that would normally have taken us many months to complete has been achieved this week through the hard work and commitment of the military trainees. Their phenomenal support has enabled us to complete the preparatory work ready for the next phase of the redevelopment of the farm which will be the start of the build work in June which we are looking to finish in October, with a grand opening to which the trainees have been invited.”

Mihaela Richardson, manager at Greenacres, stated:-

“Our Greenacres team kept the guys going throughout the week with plenty of homemade sandwiches and wonderful cakes which were baked on site by those who attend the farm with the BBQ including the legendary Greenacres sausages made from our own pigs followed by more wonderful cake.”

BBC Radio Shropshire spent the morning at the farm interviewing individuals and a link to the broadcast can be found here.

Greenacres’ Liam Cox (centre) presenting hamper to Project Lead Lt Adam Dignam. Also present – Lieutenant Colonel Dufton, Commanding Officer 9 Regt AAC, Councillor Lee Chapman, Service Manager Tracey Dufton and Warrant Officer Nick Williams, Deputy Corporate Engagement Officer, RAF Shawbury.