Nusrat Ghani, MP for Sussex Weald, visited Smiles Sensory and Family Farm in Eridge to congratulate the owner, Paris Howard-Hall, and her team of volunteers for being named the South East Regional winners in the Rural Enterprise category at the Countryside Alliance Awards 2024.
The Awards, also known as the Rural Oscars, are the Countryside Alliance’s annual celebration of British food, farming, enterprise and heritage, through recognising small hard-working businesses. This year, the Rural Enterprise category included two fantastic local businesses as finalists: South Brockwells Farm in Little Horsted who were nominated again after scooping up the trophy last year, and this year’s winners Smiles Sensory and Family Farm in Eridge.
Smiles Sensory and Family Farm was set up for the enrichment and personal development of individuals with learning difficulties and mental health challenges. It offers person-centred learning opportunities that are carefully and collaboratively planned to ensure the needs of each guest are met and supported. The Farm is the home to nearly 50 animals including goats, donkeys, chickens, pigs and ducks amongst others, who are all either rescued or rehomed, roaming freely over almost four acres of land which is maintained by a small team of volunteers.
To find out more, or to support the business by a donation, please visit www.sfmsensoryfarm.co.uk
Nusrat Ghani said: “We are incredibly lucky to have so many fantastic farms in Sussex Weald, whose expertise scopes from food production and animal keeping, to education provision about food security, unique experiences of farm life and animal keeping, and providing support to vulnerable children and adults. The Countryside Alliance Awards are a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate how valued our farms and their work are by our communities and I’m so pleased that following last year’s success of South Brockwells Farm, Smiles Sensory Family and Farm have been recognised by this award this year and crowned South East Regional winners in the Rural Enterprise category. I was pleased to visit the farm to offer my warmest congratulations to the whole team whose hard work makes a huge contribution and positive difference to so many children and their parents.”
