The first year of a funding grant for Rice Lane City Farm has seen one of Liverpool’s ‘best kept secrets’ extend their services to the local community.

Rice Lane City Farm is a 24-acre site including 14 acres of woodland situated in Walton, and home to a very diverse project offering various help and support, not to mention training and educational opportunities, to all in the local community.

The Steve Morgan Foundation mad a £54,000 three-year grant and now, a third of the way through, the charity’s staff are already noting a positive impact.

“The support we have received has made a great difference to our organisation,” says Maria Hornsby MBE, Manager of Rice Lane City Farm.

“Our delivery has widened during our school holiday time , enabling us to do more small group work with children on the Autistic Spectrum using animals for therapy and touch, and this has worked really well.

“Some of our young people have moved on to other activities and our peer education project has grown from strength to strength, including four young women running a tea shop over the summer which raised £500.

“The family activities were attended by over 60 families during our summer holidays.

“In total, this year we have engaged with over 346 children under the age of 12 and 42 schools, as well as taking 32 school pupils on for work experience, nine of whom stayed with us as volunteers.

“We have also supported eight young people with mental health issues to engage and helped three move on to college to train in Animal care.”

Another positive example of Rice Lane City Farm’s work has seen an 18-year-old man who struggles with depression but has engaged with the charity for the last two years.

His progress in developing focus and confidence has seen him starting college as a result.

In the last year alone, those numbers of engaged children have included a total of 180 who are new to the charity.

Moreover, the additional stability provided by the Steve Morgan Foundation grant has also helped staff source additional funding from elsewhere, and work on a business plan for income generation including putting a three-to-five year strategy in place.

“We would like to thank the trustees for the impact their funding has meant to us,” added Maria.

“With the support of the Steve Morgan Foundation Liverpool’s best kept secret Rice Lane City Farm continues to thrive and innovate across our local and wider community.”