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Leathes Prior is delighted to be supporting Clinks Care Farm as our Charity of the Month for May 2025 as they celebrate their 15th anniversary this year. Clinks Care Farm is a 143-acre Norfolk County Farm in Toft Monks near Beccles, sitting on the border of Norfolk & Suffolk. They focus on combining the care of the land with the care of people.

Since its opening in 2010, the social enterprise has offered placements to disadvantaged people to use the natural farm environment and the activities on the farm as a therapeutic space and a place to learn, grow, and build confidence. After initially opening the farm one day a week in Spring 2010, this quickly became two days a week in the Summer. With the NHS innovation grant, their Farming on Prescription programme was launched in November 2010 for 2 days a week, and this continued until 2018 with direct funding from the NHS, as it achieved such positive results and outcomes. In total, they helped around 230 people with mental health issues through placements at the farm. Many of those attending went back to work or college and also engaged more with their family and community. 95% of people had significant recorded improvements in their mental health after just 12 sessions.

About the farm

• Across their 143 acres, they have a good variety and number of animals, which help farm helpers to learn husbandry skills. Most of the animals produce food such as eggs, pork, and lamb, which they prepare for the local market and sell in the Clinks Care Farm farm shop.
• The farm also offers a Food Box Scheme, which offers the delivery of their homegrown produce to homes across the local area. Crops are grown in poly-tunnels, raised beds, and various areas of market garden space and include produce such as potatoes, carrots, onions, radishes, and salad.
• Clinks Care Farm always set out to be a food supplier, the team are passionate about keeping the food miles to a minimum, so all produce does straight from the farm to customers either through veg boxes or the farm shop.
• Over the last 7 years, the market garden has grown to around 11 acres, including many poly-tunnels.

Placements at Clinks Care Farm

• The farm offers different options depending on the needs of the individual, ranging from farm therapy for those with mild to moderate mental health issues, to social care placements which help individuals to develop a variety of practical skills focused on working towards independence and possibly employment as part of the day care provision. The farm also offers work preparation placements and educations placements too. 
• Placements are offered to people with learning difficulties, brain injuries, autism, dementia, and chronic and enduring mental health issues. Ages range from 14 years to 90 years old, as long as the individual is keen and able to get involved in a farm activity, they can attend.
• A maximum of 18 farm helpers attend the farm each day, with just over 40 farm helpers in total. Farm helpers are supported in the activities on the farm by both staff at Clinks Care Farm and the 40 volunteers who also help across the farm.
• The placements offered by the farm provide opportunities for people to grow and develop; the farm is equally as passionate about local food as they are about supporting local people. Farm helpers learn a lot about food and how to grow vegetables and look after livestock through the placements they offer.

In the community

Clinks Care Farm offers lots of ways the community can support what they do, including:

• Visiting their farm shop
• Joining the Food Box Scheme
• Visiting their flower garden to pick your own bouquet
• Attending fundraising events

Find out more about Clinks Care Farm, the brilliant work they do, and how you can get involved here.