Dec 2019
Buckland Court’s new animal ark!
Buckland Court, operated by The Orders of St John Care Trust (OSJCT), has welcomed some slightly unusual new residents – two hand-reared pygmy goats and a pair of micro pigs!
Residents, relatives and friends of the care home along with the Mayor of Amesbury, other special guests and local media, attended an event to officially open the home’s new small farm.
The event also saw the names of the new animals revealed for the first time and an appeal launched to raise funds to help the farm grow.
Daycare Coordinator Dawn Morris said the four new arrivals were settling in well to their new enclosure in the day centre garden.
They join Buckland Court’s existing menagerie of animals, which includes three budgies, three ducks, two cats and a cockatiel.
Once the new animals have properly settled in it is hoped residents, volunteers and visitors, as well as the children who attend the after-school club there, will get involved in feeding them and taking them for walks.
Dawn said the home hoped the farm would bring a lot of pleasure to residents, their families and the local community.
She added: “We want everyone to feel a part of this experience. Our residents are already loving watching the animals’ antics and getting to know them, and we will bring the animals into the home to meet those residents who don’t want to come outside.
“We’ve got some fantastic links with the local community and our farm is also a great way for us to help strengthen those relationships by encouraging visitors along to meet the animals and help out with them.”
Residents have already got involved with the important task of naming the animals – choosing William and Harry for the goats and Patsy and Percy for the pigs.
Dawn thanked all those members of the team who had worked so hard over the last few months to get the animal farm project off the ground, particularly the home’s handyman Michael Hatchman, who built the animal enclosure.
The home is now looking to add to the farm and has set up a Just Giving page to help raise funds to buy two miniature donkeys. You can support the home by making a donation at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bucklandcourtdonkeys