Valley CIDS are an independent Christian charity based in Derbyshire, committed to serving children, young people and families through out-reach work in schools and the wider community.
The charity is working towards their goal of turning Swanwick’s Turner Farm into a financially viable, environmentally friendly site that creates life changing opportunities for young people.
In 2009 the farm, which was originally established in 1740 to provide poor and disadvantaged local children with an education, was in serious decline. Valley CIDS merged with the Turner Educational Charity to revitalise the site to offer a safe, engaging learning space for young people who are disconnected from mainstream education.
The charity have made significant developments to the site enabling them to successfully deliver an expanding programme of Key Stage 3 & 4 alternative education, with an average of 35-55 young people referred by Derbyshire County Council annually.
In 2019 they required specialist help to deliver their latest development – a new environmental learning hub to protect and enhance the biodiversity of the site and provide broader learning opportunities to young people as part of their alternative education provision. G F Tomlinson were introduced to Valley CIDS through their relationship with Business in the Community and became involved in the planning and delivery of a robust solution to support the charity’s objectives.
Key deliverables included the provision of a field shelter to act as a base from which children and young people can study wildlife in their natural habitat. Working in partnership with Valley CIDS, G F Tomlinson and their consultant and sub-contractor supply chain partners developed a solution which delivered:
- Reorientation of the site, ensuring existing wildlife and their habitats were protected
- Completion of groundworks including a sub-base for the shelter
- Construction of a bespoke 5x4m shelter, sourced from a specialist local supplier
Site Constraints – G F Tomlinson’s HS&E Manager visited the site to provide expert advice and guidance and undertake due diligence to ensure the construction of the sub-base and field shelter could be carried out safely without causing harm to the environment or wildlife.
Investigations confirmed that Valley CIDS’ original proposed location for the field shelter would not be possible due to the presence of protected species and the site was reoriented. An alternative location was identified and revised scope of works developed which allowed for the different ground conditions and site constraints.
Live Environment – Turner Farm is an alternative education environment, attended by 11-16 year olds during term time. The works were carried out over a 3-day period during the Easter break, preventing disruption to the farm’s educational activities.
Risk assessments and method statements were prepared prior to starting on site and use of experienced directly employed operatives and supply chain partner, Alliance Groundworks, ensured safe, timely completion within the client’s timescales.
OUTCOMES
- 147 volunteer hours
- 55 local young people engaged in environmental learning every year
- 100% social value added
This project, a social value initiative funded by G F Tomlinson’s Regional Construction framework Community Fund, has been the result of meaningful collaboration between Valley CIDS, G F Tomlinson and local supply chain partners who all share a passion to deliver benefits to the local community.
Practical learning for students – During term time students were engaged in developing the rest of environmental hub as part of their practical learning activities. They built raised planters and constructed a path to provide improved accessibility around the hub and to/from the rest of the farm.
Wider community benefits – The Turner Farm Project is opened to the wider community outside of term time, with young people from Valley CIDS’s local Blend Youth Project centres participating in activity days. The new hub can now be utilised by these groups during their visits to the farm to provide biodiversity and environmental learning.
Ian Tannahill, Director of Young People’s Services at Valley CIDs commented: “Our primary focus at Turner Farm is to support the personal development and educational attainment of young people who face barriers to accessing mainstream education. We know that the traditional classroom learning environment fails to cater for their learning styles and needs and it is therefore important for us to provide alternative learning spaces and opportunities that inspire the young people to learn.
“The new environmental learning hub is a prime example of such an inspirational learning space. Having also worked diligently over the past number of years to both protect and enhance the biodiversity of the Turner Farm site, we are thrilled with the addition of the hub. It fits in wonderfully within an area of the site where we have been developing pond, wetland, horticulture and nature trail areas and enables young people to have a front row seat to the action. We are therefore very grateful to G F Tomlinson for their generosity and support with this project and we know that it will make a difference to the lives and learning opportunities of many young people.”
