Little Gate Farm, a 46-acre charity located in East Sussex, serves as a pre-employment training ground that supports individuals with learning disabilities. The farm prepares its trainees with broader, transferable skills. From practicing woodwork, flower cutting, and animal care to engaging with art and theater, they gain essential hands-on experience. With a dedicated team and enthusiastic trainees, Little Gate Farm is home to goats and alpacas, creating a unique environment for learning and growth.
The facility can host up to 22 trainees each day, providing customized activity sessions designed specifically for youth ages eight to 21. This highly competitive program prepares incoming participants with invaluable leadership skills. It serves as a great entry point for work experience and transitional paid employment within the organization. The farm is deeply supportive in helping their trainees find jobs with local businesses, facilitating their entry into the workforce and contributing to the local economy.
Dan Bowen, a Little Gate Farm success story. With this referral he was able to access a job at a local fishmongers in East Sussex. He was thankful for the experiences that the farm gave him, saying,
“Not having a job I don’t know where I’d be, I’d still be in the same situation, still on universal credit.” – Dan Bowen
Chloe Valentine, 27, who has been training under the guidance of Little Gate Farm for the past four years. She has been an amazing success story, achieving much against the odds of dealing with autism and anxiety. She shared her struggle with employment, stating,
“I struggled to get a job because of ‘the unknown’ due to ‘not knowing about what’s going to happen and how you’re going to deal with a situation that’s unexpected.’” – Chloe Valentine
Hannah Briars, manager of Little Gate Farm, brought up the need for inclusivity in the farm workforce. She thanked them for their work to “fill a void” between businesses and job seekers with disabilities. She challenged companies to recognize that recruiting someone with a learning disability is no less beneficial than hiring anyone else.
The farm’s true mission is to empower these future, independent travelers. This pledge increases their individual development and enhances the development of the community at-large. In fact, they’re so popular that they have a waiting list for their services. They’re confident that by supporting more people with learning disabilities into sustainable work, they will save their local authority money in the long term by decreasing dependence on adult social care services.
