Gamelea Countryside Training Trust

Brief description: 
Gamelea Countryside Training Trust (GCTT) is a registered Charity delivering accredited vocational land based and rural skills qualifications to all, in particular those with a learning disability, and or mental health problems. Tel (01246) 566557 or E-mail info@gameleactt.org.uk - www.gameleactt.org.uk
About us: 
The Trust firmly believes that employment is a real option for many people with a disability.  Past experience has shown that although businesses may want to help, they rarely have the time and resources to spare in order to put in the level of training needed to employ this particular group of people.
With help from a variety of funders, a series of mini-businesses have been developed under the umbrella of Gamelea Enterprises Ltd whose profits are donated to GCTT.
To ensure students are ready for work. Experienced and caring trainers are employed to continually push the barriers and deliver skills, knowledge and a work ethic to students who in turn are stretched and fulfilled. All skills are taught by positive reinforced feedback.
Basic skills needs are addressed continually as they are seamlessly embedded into all activities.  Notable improvements are made to students’ key skills ie communication, working with others etc. and soft outcomes can now be accredited.
Close links with other agencies such as Social Services, NHS, LEA, Mencap, Ability and other related organisations ensure that students’ needs and choices are being met. 
 
County: 
Derbyshire
Current Provision: 
Free Range Egg Enterprise
 The poultry unit has over 200 free-range hens producing eggs daily, which are on sale in the farm shop. The enterprise employs several people with learning disabilities.
The students training in this area gain an in depth knowledge of free-range hens and fresh egg production and follow a recognised qualification. 
As the sale of eggs increases so will the number of hens, therefore, work opportunities present themselves e.g.:-
·        Customer order management and fulfilment
·        Husbandry of hens
·        Egg collection
·        Incubation, hatching and brooding of replacement hens
·        Egg grading
·        Egg packing
·        Egg sales
 
Plant Nursery (Summer months)
The nursery has grown from small beginnings under the expertise of a manager with many years of experience in growing, producing and selling plants to the general public.
The nursery produces a range of ornamental trees and shrubs together with a wide variety of perennial plants and herbs.  It is open to the public seven days a week.  Students training in the enterprise learn about soil types, plant names, growth habit, care and maintenance, greenhouse procedures, seasonal work, potting on, labelling, selling and giving advice to customers along with general customer care.
As the customer base grows and the Internet site gets more hits, the business will expand therefore creating more training and job opportunities e.g.:-
·        Greenhouse management
·        Plant propagation
·        Potting up plants
·        Weeding
·        Watering
·        Retail Sales
·        Processing and fulfilling mail order and Internet orders
 
 
Soft Fruit and Vegetable Production
Seasonal organic soft fruit and vegetables are produced for restaurant use and sold in the farm shop.
Students learn associated skills needed to grow and care for fruit and vegetable plants and bushes.
They will learn about seasonality and how to process and fulfil orders together with essential knowledge of dealing with perishable goods. 
Employment and training opportunities are:-
  • Seed sowing and germination
  • Care and maintenance of native trees
  • Care and maintenance of fruit and vegetables
  • Processing and fulfilling orders
  • Order delivery
 
 
Farm Shop
 We are in the process of  replacing the small shop with larger premises. Meat packing and labelling together with presentation skills in the farm shop is acquired.  Customer care and experience will be gained both in the café and retail shop.
As the customer base grows and the Internet site becomes more popular the processing and fulfilment of mail orders will be paramount.
 Training and employment opportunities:-
·        Order processing
·        Fulfilment of orders
·        Packaging and postal orders
·        Labelling and packaging
·        Retail sales
·        Customer care
·        Cleaning
·        Shelf filling
 
Rare Breed Pig Production large animal care
 
The Trust has an established herd of Gloucester Old Spots, Berkshires and Large Blacks – these are all rare and traditional breeds.
The Rare Breed Survival Trust Meat Production Scheme supports producers of the traditional rare breed pigs for premium meat production.  The pigs are reared outdoors and traceability is a key feature of our meat production.
The pigs are bred both for meat and for breeding purposes. The larger Farm Shop premises will create more work opportunities.
 Current training and work opportunities are:-
·        Herd management and breeding programme
·        Feeding and watering
·        Sow and weaner care
·        Food production
·        Ark building
·        Field and grassland management
·        Selection of finishing animals and abattoir arrangements
 
 
Rare Breed Poultry Breeding and Sales
The Trust has established breeding trios of rare breed and fancy fowl.  There is a very large following of fancy fowl and they are becoming a designer “must have” for the upwardly mobile garden.  Students will gain recognised qualifications in poultry care together with retail sales and processing/fulfilment of orders. 
As the reputation of breeding quality stock grows, so will the number of employment and training opportunities, currently:-
·        Breeding programmes
·        Incubator management
·        Brooding care
·        General care and maintenance
·        Vaccination
·        Order processing and fulfilment
·        Preparation for carriage
·        Retail opportunities
 
Craft (Winter months)
The craft workshop produces saleable items such as hand-made greetings cards, household items, hand sewn items, screen printed T-Shirts etc.
As with the furniture project, the benefit of more customers on-site for other sales should generate sales for articles produced in the craft department.
 Employment and training opportunities are:-
·                     Painting techniques
·                     Stencilling
·                     Decoupage
·                     Sewing skills
·                     Creating saleable items
·                     Retail sales
·                     Fulfilling customer orders from Internet sales
 
 
Open Farm
 Students look after large animals such as Llamas, horses/donkeys/ponies, goats, sheep, cows, pigs, and small animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs. These are kept in small manageable paddocks, which have been created by the Barclays Community Teams.
Because the area is open to the public the paddocks, housing and paths must be clean and tidy.  All health and safety issues addressed including hand washing stations and toilets fully functional.
Students will have close contact with the public, as they will be on hand to give information about the animals or perhaps lead a guided tour.
 
Employment and training opportunities are:-
  • Care of animals
  • Till and ticket operatives
  • Reception duties
  • Tour guides
  • Cleaners
  • Ice cream sales
  • Tea, coffee and sandwich sales
  • Drinks making and serving
  • Cleaning
  • Booking in of customers
 
 
Dog Crèche
The Trust is on the threshold of a new and exciting enterprise in the establishment of a dog crèche. Planning permission is being sought to build some state-of-the-art dog kennels in order to look after dogs whilst owners are at work.  During the time the dogs are with us, they will be well cared for, groomed, fed and watered and given frequent exercise together with lots of Tender Loving Care.
Not only are the students looking after animals, but they are also learning the art of customer care and relations. 
Reception skills will also be needed in order to welcome customers and book their dogs into the kennels, together with filling in forms and gathering the relevant information.  Office, reception and telephone skills will also be required. 
 Employment and training opportunities foreseen are:-
·        Dog walking
·        Kennel management including cleaning and disinfecting
·        Grooming
·        Reception
·        Office Work
·        Customer Care
·        Retail Sales
 
 
Information Technology
 Students have access to a well equipped computer suite with an expert ICT trainer. European Social Fund/Learning Skills Council funded courses are currently run on a twelve week programme and cover many aspects from basic ICT skills to internet access, web design and digital photography.
In today’s computer technological world ICT skills are needed in many jobs and therefore this course can prove invaluable for students.
 
Music Technology courses
PROJECT OVERVIEW
 This is a pilot project which focuses on young disaffected and disadvantaged adults with little or no, I.T and music skills to participate fully in recording their own progress, experiences and feelings through the use of I.T and music technology and easy to use multimedia music software and hardware.
Students will be working with a professional music producer who has been in the music industry for almost 20 years.  This will help develop student skills previously unavailable to disadvantaged people, with a fully trained professional.
 
OUTCOMES
 This project will use technology in a way that will show young disaffected and disadvantaged adults an exciting and new way of recording music, audio and dialogue.  It will also promote the learning of basic skills in particular emotion (confidence, self-esteem, creativity), social interaction (sharing, co-operation) and communication/language (interaction, information and instruction).
Students could create their own songs for use in raising the charities profile and for future fund raising events.  Other establishments may also want to use the studio for students around the country to enable them to participate in musical technology.
The project will enable/tap-in-to students’ creative skills.  Skills they may not previously thought they had.  Giving them the chance to use technologies/software previously not available generally, due to cost, to the general public.
This project will offer the basics of writing music, the basics of musical timing and the basics of musical technology such as:
 
¨      Learning MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface)
¨      Computer Aided Audio Sequencing
¨      Virtual Instruments
¨      Music Theory
¨      Sound Mixing
¨      Recording Audio
¨      Effects units & Audio Processors
¨      Sampling of Audio Editing
¨      Copyrighting of Music
¨       Drum Programming
Our Resources: 
Opportunities for 13 to 19 year olds
Vocational education for KS4 excluded pupils, and those in danger of exclusion, have been running successfully on behalf of the Behaviour Support Department for several years during which time approximately 50 of the most hard to reach and fragile learners have accessed education.  Success is measured not only in the achievement of Bronze and Silver ASDAN, but in soft outcomes ie that of high attendance levels, much improved behaviour, the ability to integrate with adults with learning disabilities, interaction with members of the public through retail sales, much improved negotiating skills, less police involvement when off-site, less involvement with education psychologists, a knowledge of real work and gaining a work ethic, together with real and transferable skills which enables and equips them for employment.
The Trust also has a fully equipped ICT suite together with a qualified and experienced ICT trainer.  The use of digital cameras, video cameras, sound recording and witness statement are all used as evidence and students are encouraged to record their own progress and achievements.
When students arrive they will be given an induction.  Together with all parties concerned an individual learning plan will be devised and will be reviewed on a regular basis.
We are delighted and proud to say that at least five of our ex-pupils are holding down paid jobs such as welding, plumbing, joinery and scaffolding.