This autumn, Community Services at Duckyls Farm, part of Diagrama Foundation’s Day Opportunities programme, is celebrating a bumper pumpkin harvest, all grown and nurtured by the people they support.
The project began early this summer when Cameron, one of the individuals supported through the Day Opportunities programme, planted pumpkin seeds at home with a little help from his dad and later brought the young plants to the farm. Since then, the group has been hands-on at every stage from planting and watering to harvesting, cooking, and even carving their own creations ready for Halloween.
Grown on two old muck heaps and blessed with plenty of sunshine, this year’s crop was a great success producing 23 pumpkins from just eight plants. The largest pumpkin weighed an impressive 17kg, and the team is already taking pride in what they have achieved together.
Care Farm and Community Manager Keri Strugnell said: “The pumpkins have been a brilliant way for everyone to get involved, from planting the seeds to turning them into something delicious or creative. It’s all part of our ‘field to fork’ approach, helping people see how the vegetables they eat grow and giving them a real sense of achievement.”
The harvest has already been put to good use across the farm’s activities with participants making pumpkin soup and pumpkin bread, both of which have proved particularly popular. Some of the crop has also been used in craft sessions and took centre stage in a pumpkin-carving celebration.
These activities are an important part of Duckyls Farm’s mission to offer meaningful, hands-on experiences that build confidence, independence, and community connections.
Keri added: “Projects like this really show what our Day Opportunities are about; teamwork, learning, developing and enjoying the rewards of your own hard work. And, of course, having a bit of fun along the way!”
For more information about Community Services visit www.diagramacommunity.org.uk
If you’d like to support the residents at Duckyls Farm and other Diagrama services you can help by purchasing an item from their Amazon Wishlist: https://linktr.ee/diagramaamazonwishlist Every contribution, big or small, helps enhance the daily lives of the people we support.
About Diagrama Foundation
Diagrama Foundation is a Kent based charity that supports vulnerable children, young people, and adults to live their best life.
Diagrama has a Supported Living Service across Bromley and Mid Sussex, three homes for adults with learning disabilities in Orpington, an eight-bed care home for adults with learning disabilities in West Sussex with a Community Services Programme a fifty-bed care home for the elderly with nursing and dementia needs in Essex, and a fostering and adoption service in the southeast. Plus, a 100-acre property offering farm and craft day Services cross West Sussex.
- The Supported Living Service, cares for 33 adults with learning disabilities, in seven schemes across Bromley and one scheme in Mid Sussex, helping them to develop skills and confidence to live in their own house either on their own or with others.
- At Cabrini House in Orpington the charity promotes the development of core skills for 23 adults with learning disabilities so that they can lead independent lives integrated within their community.
- Duckyls Farm, a 100-acre residential care home in West Sussex for residents with learning disabilities, allows the charity to explore the physical, mental and social skills and benefits that working with animals and in nature can offer to people with a learning disability.
- Diagrama Day Opportunities operates at Duckyls Farm and across Sussex. This is a day care provision Hub and Outreach Support for people with a learning disability, physical and sensory impairment, acquired brain injury and/or autism.
- The team at their nursing and dementia care home, Edensor Care Centre in Clacton on Sea, support vulnerable residents to live life to the full.
- Diagrama’s voluntary adoption agency and not-for-profit fostering service cares for children who wait the longest for homes in London, Kent, Sussex and Surrey.
Many vulnerable children and adults don’t get the support they need to develop their true potential, but the Diagrama team know that when someone has time and belief invested in them, they come alive, because that investment has made them feel valued and worthy.
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