Doing things differently
The Prospects Trust was founded in 1989 by a group of parents wanting more for their young people with additional needs. This included some forward-thinking social workers, knowing there needed to be a different way to provide social care, and some green-fingered horticulturalists who wanted to create a safe haven for people to grow.
They met in a pub, founded a charity and found some land in rural Cambridgeshire to open Snakehall Farm. Roll on 34 years and the Trust continues to grow people alongside produce. The early roots of the Charity are still protected, but growth of provision, ideas, projects and social care practice is fostered, nurtured and encouraged throughout the charity. At the helm of this is our experienced, engaged and supportive board of Trustees, led by our now award-winning Chairman, Margaret Kerry.
No surprises
Margaret was not a founding Trustee. In fact, Margaret has established terms of service for the Trustees – ensuring a vibrant and time-bound committee. Margaret plans each Board meeting with the mantra ‘no surprises’, which means as a Charity we need to be planned, methodical and super communicators. The operational management team are clear about their delegated authority to take day-to-day decisions, but the Trustee Board leads on the strategic direction of the Charity.
The early years of the Prospects Trust were operated from a retro caravan in an open farm barn. The windswept farm site was, at that time, just a few derelict barns, a farmhouse and arable open fields. The Co-workers (people with learning disabilities) came to access therapeutic horticulture on a day basis and the register could be taken on one hand. It was small but equally groundbreaking.
Natural growth
From those early roots, the eagerness to engage people with disabilities into meaningful work was paramount. Quickly, the farm site sprouted growth in produce, people, projects and socially enterprising purpose. It’s taken acres of enthusiasm, wheelbarrows of hard work and seasons of ploughing on regardless of weather, blight, global pandemics and never enough money to repair the broken bits.
At the heart of the Trust is our people; the Co-workers who work shoulder to shoulder with their Support Workers. Regardless of their disability and/or autism they strive daily to get the job done. It’s why we say we ‘care differently’ – we have created a place where their abilities can shine. Nobody can do everything but anyone can do something at the Prospects Trust. As a charitable organisation that centres people at the heart of the action, our core values are the same now as they were back in 1989.
Bright futures
Today, the Prospects Trust has grown bigger than the HQ organic care farm; proudly boasting a prolific Garden Team going out and working across Cambridgeshire in a multitude of gardens as well as our Zero Waste Refill Shop and Cafe – Prospects Unwrapped – in Ely.
Next year, the Trust will celebrate 35 years of growing differently. Plans to host an open farm day are already being drawn up, in fact planted, as our latest venture is the rewilding of a seven-and-a-half-acre field at Snakehall Farm into a fully accessible community-focused nature reserve.
The Prospects Trust now provides supported placements to over 80 Co-workers every week. From specialist support to people with complex needs and recent school leavers wanting to move into paid employment, the Prospects Trust is well positioned to continue to offer opportunities, progression and compassionate care – independently and differently.
Lending a hand
The Prospects Trust is a multiple Markel 3rd Sector Care Award winner, having taken home the Community Engagement Award at last year’s ceremony in March 2022. A few months later in September, CMM was joined by Neil Galjaard, Markel’s Divisional Managing Director, and the Markel marketing team who helped build the first 60 metres of what would become an accessible pathway for everyone to enjoy at the new Prospects Trust nature reserve.
Using its wider volunteer initiative, Markel allocates all employees with three days of volunteering as part of their benefits. As Markel supports the care and non-for-profit industry by providing insurance for the sector, it took this opportunity to reach out to an Award winner.
About the day, Neil Galjaard commented, ‘A really brilliant day – it was great to be there working as a team, for such a great cause. It was inspiring to see the work the charity does, and I’m delighted we were able to use our charity days to support a Markel 3rd Sector Care Awards winner!’ CMM
Save the date for the Markel 3rd Sector Care Awards 2024
CMM is delighted to announce the return of The Markel 3rd Sector Care Awards. The ceremony will be held on Friday 15th March 2024 at The Grand Hotel, Birmingham. If you would like to nominate a person or team to be considered for an Award, follow the process on CMM’s dedicated web page when nominations open on Friday 1st September 2023. Time is of the essence as nominations will close on Friday 27th October 2023.
Don’t miss your chance to attend the Markel 3rd Sector Care Awards 2024 – early bird tickets are now on sale. You can also stay up to date with the awards on social media. Join the conversation on Twitter by following @3rdSectorCare and using the hashtag #3rdSectorCareAwards.
The Markel 3rd Sector Care Awards is run specifically for the voluntary care and support sector. Visit www.3rdsectorcareawards.co.uk to view the 2023 event winners and find out more about next year’s event.
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