Rhubarb Farm at Langwith hosted a tour for community, care and third sector organisations from Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and South Yorkshire that may refer people who have long-term needs so they can take advantage of the training and volunteering opportunities the farm provides.

Representatives from Bassetlaw Mind, Hope Springs in Chesterfield, Sheffield NHS, Derbyshire County Council’s Disability Service, Langwith Parish Council and Mansfield CVS were shown round the farm and introduced to the volunteers working there.

Jennie Street, managing director, said: “All of the groups that attended were enthused by what we do here supporting people with long-term health and social issues. They all work with the type of people we support but may not have been aware of what we do or how we work, so it was a great opportunity for everyone concerned. It is certainly something we will be looking at doing again in the near future.”

Rhubarb Farm is a social enterprise that works with a wide range of vulnerable people facing serious personal challenges. It offers training and volunteering opportunities to ex-offenders, drug and alcohol misusers, people with mental ill health and learning disabilities, and teenagers struggling with behaviour problems. It aims to increase their self-esteem, improve their lives and help them make a positive contribution to their community.

Rhubarb Farm was opened in 2011 with the aim of providing work placements, training and volunteering opportunities through the medium of growing fruit and vegetables for market. Rhubarb Farm now cultivates eight acres of land on which it grows over 35 different varieties of fruit and vegetables as well as rearing 100 hens which produce eggs for sale. Over 300 volunteers have come to the Farm, of which 70 have gone on to gain employment or further education through the support of the experienced staff.