Help us grow something special - autism charity's plea to businesses

ACROSS 77 acres of beautiful County Durham countryside, a magical ‘field of dreams’ is slowly but surely becoming a reality.

In what is surely one of the most ambitious and imaginative initiatives ever launched by one of the region’s charities, the North East Autism Society (NEAS) has unveiled a £5.5m scheme to create a visitor attraction, including a café, shop, commercial units and apple mill.

It will all be supported by a working farm that will provide jobs for autistic and neurodivergent adults.

To enable the expansion of New Warlands Farm to come to fruition, the charity has launched a corporate appeal to North-East businesses to be part of the vision.

“We truly believe we are in the midst of creating something very special that will have a generational impact, but we are a charity, and we need help to make it come to life,” says NEAS chief executive John Phillipson.

“The North-East business community is renowned for its generosity in supporting life-changing initiatives.

“Our ask today is for businesses to play a part in growing something that will not only enhance our region but have a positive impact on the lives of some of its most vulnerable people.”

The seeds were sown in 2010 when NEAS, which supports children and adults, bought the sprawling farm, near Burnhope, to use as the base for a vocational centre, as well as building lodges for respite breaks for families.

Woodwork, textiles, card-making, and floristry workshops were established, producing high-quality work. And hundreds of apple trees were planted to enable small-scale commercial apple juice and cider production to begin, with world-famous artist, Mackenzie Thorpe – proud to be one of the charity’s patrons – designing the labels for the bottles.

It quickly became an oasis of inclusivity, earning plaudits from families and visitors for the courage and imagination that went into the development.

But John, and the charity’s fundraising manager Kevin Meikle, always wanted more.

They wanted to turn the site into a working farm, and visitor centre, so it would not only become sustainable but provide jobs and training opportunities for around 60 autistic adults each year.

Planning permission for the expansion was granted last year, but NEAS needed someone with the skills and experience to bring the farm to life as part of the visitor attraction. And, so, this remarkable charity, that likes to push the boundaries, employed a farmer.

John and Kevin found their ‘perfect fit’ when they went to meet the appropriately named Dave Wilde on his farm near Ponteland, initially to swap notes on cider-production.

Dave had moved on from his landscape business to follow his own dream of having his own farm.

He and his wife, Kim (not the pop star turned gardener) remortgaged their house to buy a plot of land, near Ponteland, and slowly began to develop it.

They relocated the beehives and chickens they kept in their garden, and bought six Shetland sheep and four pigs.

Before long, they had 80 Shetland sheep, 40 large black pigs, 20 English goats, and 100 poultry, as well as growing fruit and veg with a route to market. The farm also became the setting for holiday clubs for primary schoolchildren, scouts and guides, and youngsters on the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme.

North East Autism Society CEO John Phillipson, right, with farmer Dave Wilde (Image: Peter Barron)

Dave – down-to-earth, friendly, and passionate about farming, education and inclusivity – had everything NEAS wanted to oversee the expansion of New Warlands Farm.

A deal was struck and Dave took over as full-time farm manager at the start of the year to support NEAS in their two-year mission to create the visitor centre around the regenerative working farm, focusing on rare breeds, and sustainability.

The scheme will include a café, using home-grown produce from the farm, a press to increase cider and apple juice production, a collection of niche retail units, and two playgrounds – one for children and one for autistic adults.

In February, 28 pregnant ewes were brought to the farm to graze in a field which is to be replanted as a hay meadow.

They’ll be followed by Northern Dairy Shorthorn cattle, large black pigs, and English goats for breeding. All of these are ‘at-risk’ breeds, with only 300 English goats left in the world. There will also be a partnership with Durham Wildlife Trust to create sustainable natural habitats for wildlife, such as great water voles, deer, crested newts, frogs, toads, insects, owls, woodpeckers, and curlews.

Countryside walks will be created, and the farm will have a clear emphasis on environmental care, with carbon storage, and a high welfare approach to the livestock.

No wonder Dave, who is always accompanied by his faithful collie, Joe, describes it as his “dream job”.

“I love the whole philosophy – the chance to farm with nature in mind, to be sustainable, while making a difference to the lives of vulnerable people,” he says.

And the charity’s chief executive is clearly excited about what Dave will bring to the project: “We share a passion for making this a beautiful place to visit, with a farm-to-fork philosophy, a love of nature, while creating internships, work placements and job opportunities for autistic people.”

NEAS already has a highly successful department  called Employment Futures, which works with employers to identify opportunities for autistic and neurodivergent people and make the most of their strengths. And New Warlands Farm will soon be complementing the work of Employment Futures in the most wonderful way.

“By expanding our existing services at New Warlands Farm, we can offer meaningful employment and training opportunities to autistic and neurodivergent individuals, as well as enriching the local community by providing a new, must-visit destination,” adds John.

So, could your business be part of this special project? Could you make a financial contribution by sponsoring an element of the plan? Or does your business have resources – skills, volunteering capacity, or materials – that could be donated?

The North East Local Enterprise Partnership has already been “hugely supportive” in providing a grant of £150,000, but the charity is aiming to generate £500,000 in corporate sponsorships as part of the funding model.

“There are so many ways to get involved, whether it is through financial contributions, or in kind, and we are keen to meet businesses to show them round and explore opportunities,” says Kevin.

April is World Autism Acceptance Month, and John and Kevin will be at the farm on April 4 from 9 to 11am to meet and greet business representatives, with refreshments provided, and tours of the farm.

“We’re so proud of what’s already been achieved – and excited by what’s to come,” says John. “It is going to be something very special, and we want special partners to help us make the dream a reality.”

HOW THE FARM WILL COME TO LIFE

The development of New Warlands Farm will be rolled out in three phases over a two-year period: •

• PHASE ONE was largely dominated by the planning and demolition stages of the process. Planning permission was received in April 2023 and demolition completed in June 2023 to deconstruct some of the existing outbuildings.
• PHASE TWO will involve issuing tenders and overseeing the construction and completion of the cider press and café. Both of which will be open to the public and will provide young people and adults with the opportunity to develop new vocational skills in a real-life working environment.
• PHASE THREE will be focused on the construction of a new, large barn, housing workshop spaces for the charity’s young people and adults to use, as well as commercial spaces that can be leased and used by local businesses to house and sell their products. NEAS also hopes to host local markets throughout the year.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF NEAS

The North East Autism Society was founded in 1980 by a group of parents who were struggling to find suitable education and support for their autistic children.

In a bid to give their children the best chance to fulfill their potential, they remortgaged their homes, and purchased a building in Sunderland. That became the pioneering Thornhill Park School and the charity, initially known as the Tyne and Wear Autistic Society, was born.

The charity has undergone a major expansion over more than four decades and has recently extended its services into the south of the region, opening two new schools on Teesside – The Mackenzie Thorpe Centre at South Bank, and Kiora Hall, at Stockton. World-famous artist, Mackenzie Thorpe, born in Middlesbrough, is a proud patron and supporter of the charity, and the South Bank school was named in his honour when it opened.

Any business wishing to view the site should email kevin.meikle@ne-as.org.uk or call 0191 410 9974