In a corner of the beautiful Dorset countryside, on the site of the old dairy farm for Verwood, you'll find a little old wonky barn, some lovely views and a variety of little animals, at a place fondly called:
The Country Corner
The Country Corner is a not-for-profit social enterprise run totally by volunteers and relies on donations and fundraising events.
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Our Mission Is To Support Physical and Mental Health In The Community
There is definitely a ‘magic’ at the farm, a place where mental trauma can be eased with a good dose of the ‘feel-good-factor’.
There is a lot of mental ‘ill-health’ about, it just isn’t visible like a physical injury. However, it can have a more destructive, far-reaching effect on people who may seem in control but on the inside can see no light at the end of the tunnel.
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!!NEWS!!
Currently though, we have some necessary safety refurbishment but will not invest in this due to being informed, out of the blue, by our landlord, Dorset Council, not long before Christmas 2023, that after 32 years of tenancy, they will no longer be renewing the lease after the year ending March 2025 and during that year we are not allowed to keep our pigs or chickens!
To say I’m shocked is an understatement and the reason being given is that they want to return the land to just grazing so that it can be “repurposed at short notice” and the land must be “restored to a use which has a temporary nature”.
Could we relocate?
Definitely not as it has taken all this time to evolve into a place where my wheelchair is not a total impediment and funding the conversion of another blank canvas of grassland is not going to happen without massive investment and there is just not enough money coming in from fundraising and donations to do more than keep the animals.
There are no paid staff – all workers give of their time freely and keep the wheels turning and are highly valued
Myself, my family, friends and volunteers are all a bit mystified as we consider we are only grazing the site and with no permanent buildings (the barn floor is not concrete) and fencing being either electric or sheep hurdles or metal panelling, could be removed to make way for whatever the Council decide is the new ‘purpose’.
Hopefully a meeting with the lady responsible for drafting this new lease and her manager will shed some more light on the subject and I will keep all informed here.
The other impossibility to relocating is that due to 37 years in a wheelchair eroding my shoulders, I have days when I cannot transfer into my vehicle and need to be able to get to the farm in my wheelchair with the addition of a power add-on, the distance is under a mile from my home.
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We rely on fundraising from our in-hand miniature horse jumping and donations to further our charitable aims.
If you would like to support us and donate, please click on the donate button below and thank you for your support.
