FREE taster days are being offered at Smokey Farm, near Cropthorne, in a new service to help young adults with autistic spectrum conditions, learning disabilities, mental health needs and behavioural challenges.

The Corran Dean team is experienced and dedicated to providing outstanding, flexible quality support to young people with these conditions, having worked for 20 years offering similar services at Glancorran Farm in Carmarthenshire.

Families are being invited to the free taster days on Friday and Saturday May 29 and 30, where visitors can meet and care for a huge range of animals including ponies, pigs and pets.

Corran is all about providing a safe and stimulating environment for these young people and adults, where they could come for a day, a short break or on a regular basis doing work experience and ASDAN accredited learning and college support placements. Corran will help and support the young adults into self-employment through a supported business program if they choose to give this a try.

One local businessman, Adam Lancaster, from Blackminster has enjoyed success with his supported self-employment. He breeds, shows and sells animals including Dexter cattle, mini lop rabbits and pygmy goats. Life before this enterprise was very different in the Lancaster household and Adam has changed enormously. Adam’s Mum, Gill, explained: “He wouldn’t talk to anyone and this made trying to live a normal life terribly challenging.”.His dad, Pete added that going out and socialising was very difficult to do.

However, the real value of Adam’s self-employment is far wider reaching. He is now more relaxed and is less frustrated, which means that his behaviour is less challenging. Costly specialist interventions and services funded by the tax payer have been avoided. The ‘social return on investment’ value of Adam’s micro enterprise is very worthwhile, and he has been an ambassador for increasing people’s understanding of disabilities into the bargain.

“The idea behind the open days is to allow individuals, their families and professional advisors in Worcestershire who support these families, to come and experience the magic of this beautiful facility for themselves” says Cath Brockie, manager of Corran Care. “Coming for a taster day and taking part in planned activities will allow everyone time to experience what life is like here and gives everybody opportunities to ask questions in their own time. We know everyone will love being close to the animals and there is plenty of choices as we have ponies, sheep and goats, cats, dogs, pigs and guinea pigs, ducks and chickens all here on the farm."

The staff at Corran are all trained and highly skilled individuals and can offer programs that are very specific for each individual who joins the ‘family’. They can encourage a reduction in behavioural challenges helping people to live valued and meaningful lifestyles and achieve their ambitions in life.

If you would like to come along to a taster day contact Cath Brockie on 01386 860231 or 07833 459606 or e-mail her at corrancare@gmail.com for more details and reserve your space.