Our story so far…
Our dream became a reality when we realised there was a huge need for help and support in West Oxfordshire for people with learning difficulties and mental health issues.
Abberley Farm has teamed up with Big Fish Project and enabled us to accept referrals and cement our vision. We understand people were disappointed when we stalled in the Summer, however we always saw this as an opportunity to create the right partnership.
We would like to say a huge thank you to Abberley Farm for allowing us to continue, and for the farms that allowed us to work with them over the summer.
Here are some of the things we have achieved.
Got on BBC Radio Oxford twice and made it in Oxford Mail and front page of the Witney Gazette
We were thrilled to receive a lovely write-up in the Oxford Mail, featuring some fantastic photos from our Meet and Greet day just before our official opening. To our surprise, we also made it onto the front page of the Witney Gazette—something we only found out through friends!
Our journey has come a long way. The first time we were interviewed on BBC Radio Oxford, we didn’t even have any land! It was more of a plea to farmers—a chance to share our vision and hope that someone would see the potential in what we wanted to create. We knew it was a long shot, but we never gave up.
Fast forward to our second interview, and we were overjoyed to share the incredible news that Lewis and Mandy from Abberley Farm not only understood our vision but fully supported and encouraged us every step of the way. Their generosity and belief in Big Fish made everything possible.
A huge thank you to BBC Radio Oxford for giving us the opportunity to share our story—first as a hopeful dream and now as a thriving reality! We’re excited to keep them, and all of you, updated on the fantastic progress Big Fish continues to make.
Working on the Donkey Barn
All our volunteers (and us) really enjoyed fixing this. The donkeys had managed to kick out 3 out of 4 sides, so we got to work mending all four sides to help keep the donkeys warmer in winter and drier all year round. We learned a lot whilst mending this. One of the most important things I will take away with me is always bring a wheelbarrow filled with equipment and always bring more than you need.
Working on the camping field.
This was probably our scariest thing to do. With less than weeks before the open the gates for our Big Fish Camping Weekend, we realised we had spent so long with the animals, fixing the barn, the wheelbarrows, the fences, and learning the ropes we almost forgot to look at the field we were going to use. When we did, we saw the nettles were so high we couldn’t open the gate, and we only had our domestic strimmer to try and fight them.
Merryfield Farm very kindly loaned us their strimmer and we were away! In just a few days we managed to get on top of it. Whilst clearing the area, we came across a large mound where we had planned for the carpark to be. We were told this was an old compost heap, so we set about distributing the mound and levelling it. We even cleared all the barn area to set about creating a sheltered area. The whole field and entrance became usable in less than a week thanks to everyone’s hard work.
Helping where we can.
In preparation for opening the gates for both the care farm and the Big Weekend we were happy to tackle any job around the farm that needed doing. Our wonderful volunteers of ranging ages enabled us to fix wheelbarrows, reerect and fencing, collect old fence posts, and start clearing the stingers around the polytunnel.
Working with the animals
We understand the importance of working with animals and the benefits this can bring. We are very excited to introduce the animals that call Abberley Farm home.
