Island Community Haven CIC

14/03/2025

🌳🌱 Tree Planting Success! 🌱🌳

A huge thank you to the amazing young people from The Island Project Farming & Education Centre who helped us plant 12 native British trees at the farm!

🌿✨ We hope you learned something new, got your hands dirty, and had a great time connecting with nature. 🌍💚

This project wouldn’t be possible without your hard work and the support of our wonderful helpers. A special shoutout to everyone who came along, helped dig, plant, and make a difference! 🙌

These trees will grow for generations to come, providing free food, and a greener space for both wildlife and our community. 🌳🐦

Thank you all! 💚

02/03/2025

22/02/2025

🌱 Fruit Bushes Planting! 🌱

Thanks to generous funding from , we took another big step in creating our community orchard! Today, we planted 16 fruit bushes which will provide fresh, free food for our community in the years to come.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped with planting —you’re making a real difference! 🙌 This project is all about helping people eat healthier, reconnect with nature, and improve food accessibility for those who need it most.

We can’t wait to see these bushes flourish! Keep following our journey as we continue to grow something amazing together. 💚🌍

14/02/2025

🎥🌳 Orchard Planning in Progress! 🌳🎥

Paul, a local tree expert, visited the farm to help us plan the best trees for our new orchard! 🍎🍐 We discussed key considerations like land suitability, fruit varieties, and essential tips for long-term growth. 🌱

A huge thank you to for funding this project—bringing fresh, homegrown produce to our community! 💚

👀 Keep your eyes peeled for more updates!

10/02/2025

🐔 Following THE WORST CASE of bumblefoot we have ever seen, we’re delighted to share that Fleetwood is fully recovered, after almost 12 months of microsurgeries, perseverance, foot baths, and every coloured bandage you can imagine 🙌

Fleetwood was beginning to demonstrate some challenging behaviours in March 2024, which were completely out of character. As he’s such a placid rooster, we investigated and were horrified to find that he had Stage 5 bumblefoot - which was surprising as he did not present with any other clinical symptoms, e.g., limping, and swelling.

It was by far the worst case we had ever seen and the infection had spread up to his leg which was hot to touch. We’re so lucky to have found it when we did as he could have quickly gone downhill. He’s all healed now and the necrotic tissue and infection have been completely removed. We were so delighted to finally see healthy flesh on the sole of his foot.

We have never met such a well behaved chicken, who put all of his trust into us helping him to get better. Believe it or not, he would actually just stand there enjoying his foot bath… maybe this will have to be incorporated into his new routine as I’m sure he will miss spending quality time with us humans in the courtyard! 💚

04/02/2025

We’re sad to share that our lovely degu pair have passed away within a few days of each other.

We lost Phil on Friday 24th January, due to old age and was shortly followed by Lil, who struggled with the loss of her cage mate.

We’re honoured to have had five wonderful years with them after they were donated to us by a member of the local community.

We will miss their cheeky personalities, and being greeted by both girls in the morning, who loved Shreddies, and clambering over the heads of our young people.

Rest in peace, girls 🩷

22/12/2024

🌳 Exciting News – We’ve Won the Orchard Grant! 🌳

🍎🍐 We’re thrilled to share that we’ve secured funding from Severn Trent Water to create a community orchard at The Haven CIC! Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete our survey a few months ago!

This amazing project will see us planting 12 native English fruit trees, creating a space where people can connect with nature, learn about sustainable food growing, and enjoy free, fresh produce in the years to come.

This orchard will not only help us support local families with access to fresh food but also provide opportunities for learning and volunteering, while boosting mental well-being and biodiversity on our farm. 🌱

To bring this vision to life, we’re now looking for volunteers to help us with:

- Planning the layout of the orchard
- Preparing the site for planting
- Planting the trees over the winter months

If you’d like to get involved, share your knowledge, or simply lend a hand, we’d love to hear from you! 🙌

Drop us a message or comment below if you’d like to be part of this exciting project. Let’s grow something amazing together! 💚

🌍🍏

12/12/2024

🌟 Celebrating 4 Years of Free Range Life! 🌟

Four years ago, we rescued 10 battery chickens, giving them a second chance at life outside the cages. Today, we want to honor their journey and celebrate the one incredible survivor still with us—Bubbles! 🐔💛

Battery hens often face challenging starts to life, with many only expected to live 1-2 years after rescue due to the toll of their early conditions. But thanks to the love, care, and safe haven provided here, Bubbles has defied the odds and continues to thrive. 🌱

Thank you to everyone who supports our work—your kindness helps create these happy stories. Let’s all give Bubbles a big round of applause for her brave journey! 👏🐓

07/12/2024

🌟 Community Update! 🌟

We’re excited to share some amazing news with you all! This week, a brand-new pig arc was delivered, and it’s a game-changer! Made from 100% recycled plastic, it’s sturdy, weatherproof, and sustainable—perfect for keeping Roderick cosy and happy. 🏠♻️

Roder's wasted no time settling in and making it his new favourite spot. 🐾💤

We couldn’t have done this without our community; your donations made this possible. THANK YOU! 🙏

Want to stay updated on how your support is making a difference? Sign up for our newsletter here: https://islandcommunityhaven.org.uk/newsletter 📧

Here’s to more happy animals and amazing community achievements! 💚🐽

https://www.facebook.com/islandcommunityhavencic/posts/978954354230191

06/12/2024

Rabbit rehoming...

We’re sad to be in the position where we need to re-home the beautiful Nala, a lion-head rabbit. Nala came to us in August after losing her cage mate and it was hoped that she would bond with our rabbits (her half siblings). However, due to Nala’s timid nature, our three rabbits have struggled to accept her into their herd, in favour of chasing her around the small animal room. For Nala, we have decided that the best option would be for her to be re-homed into a loving home.

If you’re interested in Nala, please contact us via messenger for further information.

Nala is a loving, friendly, and calm rabbit, who can be bonded with another rabbit that has been neutered or spayed. She is coming up to two years old, is spayed and vaccinated. Nala could also live indoors as a single rabbit, provided she gets lots of fuss and attention. She has previously lived with young children, older children, and cats, and would be able to do so again, provided the cats are rabbit friendly!

We do ask that you send photographs of suitable housing prior to adoption and there will be a small adoption fee.

04/12/2024

We would like to thank Paul and the team at Recycle4Rotary , who have generously donated funds to the farm, helping cover animal feeds over the winter 💚

Please do check out Recycle4Rotary, based in Draycott, who repair, recycle and resell unwanted bikes before giving back to local good causes like ourselves 👏

13/11/2024

🌱 2024 Yield Update! 🌱

It’s been a mixed bag in the garden this year – some crops flourished, others not so much, but every step brought valuable learning opportunities! 🌻

Through the warmer months, our monthly meetups have been a hit, with amazing people sowing seeds, harvesting organic produce, helping with farm chores and enjoyed a bite to eat. Thank you to everyone who got stuck in, stopped by for a cuppa, and made each meetup feel so wholesome. ☕

🌍 Reducing Waste: In 2023, we noticed some of our harvest was going unused, so this year we made it a priority to share the bounty. Young people from The Island Project and all our volunteers have had access to free, fresh food to take home. 🍅🥒🥕 - we're looking forward to expanding on this in 2025!

Thank you to everyone who contributed and made this a great growing season! 🌞

08/11/2024

🌿 Team Building & Farm Experiences at The Haven CIC! 🌿

We're inviting local companies or youth groups to join us for a rewarding team-building / farm day experience during the warmer months of 2025, we have 2 dates left on a first come, first serve basis! Spend time bonding with your team while helping with animal care, site maintenance, and gardening on our peaceful farm. 🌱🐾

Your group can further support our cause by hosting a small fundraising effort, like a cake sale or animal-themed sweepstake, with all proceeds going toward our latest goals.

Interested in partnering with us? Reach out for more info 💚

20/10/2024

🐾 Every Sunday, from 10am to 12pm, our amazing group of dedicated volunteers come together to care for our animals! Recently, we've welcomed Oliver, who's been a fantastic addition to the team, mentored by our seasoned pros Tom, Kazumi, Jay, Andrea, and Jamie. They know the ropes and always bring positive energy and plenty of laughs! 🤩

There’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of ensuring our animals are well-cared for, whilst enjoying a cuppa, a chat, and even some organic veggies to take home for Sunday dinner. 🌱

If you'd like to join me, Wendy, and our wonderful crew, we promise you a warm welcome, even if the weather isn't! 💚

Find out more: https://islandcommunityhaven.org.uk/animal-welfare-meetups/

17/10/2024

🌿 Thank you to to all our amazing volunteers helped at the final allotment session of the year!

🎃 Last Sunday Amy and some of the kids decorated Halloween-inspired canvas bags, others planted onions and garlic, collected leaves, prepared raised beds, and refreshed the compost in the polytunnel.

We finished the day strong with some delicious leek and potato soup, made with ingredients straight from the allotment. 🥔🥣

Thank you to everyone who helped make it a great day! 💚

➡ What's next?

💚 On December 19th we will be hosting a pub quiz at The Risley. Please pencil in the date and more information will be on it's way soon!

09/10/2024

Happy 7th birthday to our ducks who were born on October 9th 2017 🦆🦆🦆🦆

They’ll be celebrating in true duck style—roaming around the farm, foraging for worms or bugs, splashing in their pond, and enjoying all the best spots for a little nap in the sunshine ☀️

07/10/2024

🌿 Join us for the last community allotment meetup of 2024! 🌻

You're invited to help us prepare the garden for winter, enjoy the fresh air, and share some great company. Whether you're a regular or it's your first time, everyone is welcome! 💚

📅 Date: 13/10/2024
⏰ Time: 11am - 1pm
📍 Location: The Island Community Haven CIC, Nottingham Road, Draycott, DE723PD

➡️ For me information please visit: https://islandcommunityhaven.org.uk/community-allotment-gardening-meetups/

04/10/2024

🌳 We Need Your Input! 🌳

We're planning to create a community orchard at the farm to provide free, organic fruit and a space for educational workshops, and we’d love to hear your thoughts!

Please take a moment to complete this short form to share your opinion and help strengthen our grant funding application 💚

https://forms.gle/QsRyjPhNTTqY9PxY7