Woolly Mammals Care Farm, part of Uruchillay Alpacas, runs alongside a working fibre farm that breeds champion, pedigree alpacas and angora goats and has a small flock of Shetland sheep. It offers a work-based training, skill building service to adults with individual needs, engaging them in farm activities, tending to the animals and farm related crafts.
Those who attend the farm are involved in the whole process which is assisting with the matings, looking after the pregnant animals, preparing the birthing kit, being on “birth watch”, looking after the newborns, halter training the youngsters, shearing (the harvest), product creation and finally selling their wares on the farm or at the local market.
The farm has 90 animals and works with 16 members of the learning disability community to help them improve relationships in their own lives. The farm has succeeded in helping adults with learning difficulties off medication, off benefits and into paid work, into meaningful housing and relationships as well. They have supported individuals who had no relationships with anyone at all and it started with the animals and then progressed to getting an animal of their own and eventually transferring those feelings onto people. Others have been elective mute and not spoken in over 10 years and have learnt to talk again through the farm’s animals. In 2019, CPC Finance helped the Uruchillay Alpaca farm to raise funds.
Carla Cortesi, Uruchillay Alpacas said, “We found CPC to be kind, professional, efficient, prompt, a sympathetic ear when I was struggling to keep things going, calm when I was frustrated but beyond anything they helped us when everyone else had said no. They literally worked magic and this magic has helped us, our four children, our 90 animals and the 16 members of the community with learning difficulties whom we support and train to get into paid or voluntary work.
“Thank you CPC for everything. You were always one step ahead of what was required and there must have been days you were fed up of me phoning, but you never let on. Everyone at the farm appreciates every single thing you did to help us. We would recommend you without hesitation to anyone who needs help. All we needed was some cashflow to get things moving again and you have done that, so now the business can fly again.”