Oil terminal staff help hard-pressed farm

Workers at the Seal Sands site carried out badly-needed renovations at the High Clarence farm.

Founded in 1991, the community farm has welcomed about 250,000 visitors but has been struggling to recover from two tough years when bad weather and a lack of funding put its future in doubt.

So staff at the Central Area Transmission Service terminal organised a team of 20 people to visit the farm and do repairs and improvements to buildings and surrounding areas.

Organiser Barbra Barker said: "We did a lot of work, including fence-building, painting, gardening and general repair jobs."

"Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the experience. It's great to be able to give a helping hand to such a deserving cause."

The farm regularly attracts classes of schoolchildren and many youngsters visit in their spare time to help care for the animals.

Farm manager Dave Featherstone said: "We have had a bad two years when the weather meant we had to shut for six months of each year because of flooding.

"We have found it hard to keep going and to still attract visitors, which is why the help given to us by the terminal has been so invaluable."

Mr Featherstone said the future looks much brighter now.

"With support from Stockton council and the time and energy CATS has given, the farm's future as a central part of the community should be assured," he said.

CATS operations manager Trevor Barker praised his employees' efforts.

"It is fantastic to see our staff getting so heavily involved in the community. We certainly weren't short of volunteers to go and help. In fact, staff were so keen and the original day such a success, there are plans for another visit soon."

The next project for the volunteers will be the renovation of Fort Clarence, a derelict children's fort at the back of the farm.

BP has also donated £2,000 to provide feed for the animals, help with vets' bills and help the farm survive through the winter. A pledge has been made to donate the same amount next year.