The Shallowford Trust Business Plan Revision A
Oct 2015
Summary
The Shallowford Trust is entering an exciting new phase in its development as it sets about creating a
stunning new residential farm-based facility in the heart of Dartmoor. This development will support the
fulfilment of the founders unique vision, which has already seen thousands of children and adults from
Battersea changed by their experiences at Shallowford Farm.
There has never been suitable residential accommodation for visiting groups. To achieve long term
financial sustainability the Trust is planning the creation of residential facilities at a level that will
provide sufficient income to maintain and increase its work with disadvantaged and other needy and
inner-city groups.
Extracts from the Trust Business Plan set out the Background, Aims, Governance and Progress.
The strategic intent is to generate annual cash flow sufficient to meet the cost of providing for the
continued work of the Trust with Providence House and potentially to extend this work to other
children and adult groups in need of the experiences that The Shallowford Trust can provide.
Background
In the 1960s Elizabeth Braund, the founder of the Shallowford Trust, was a pioneer Christian youth worker, who
began an innovative Youth Club in the old Providence Chapel in Battersea. As part of a local re-development
programme a purpose built premises for the club were acquired, which she named Providence House.
It was opened in 1970 responding to social needs among urban families and disadvantaged children in particular.
In 1976 she fulfilled her vision of buying a Dartmoor farm to enable young people to make residential visits and
through farming experiences see something of God’s wonderful creation. But since there has never been any
proper residential accommodation, visiting groups have to stay in the local Youth Hostel. Elizabeth lived in the
farmhouse until her death in 2013.
Visiting children and adults are enthusiastic about the quality of the experience of visiting Shallowford; enjoying
the farmhouse fire-side, the work with animals, the expeditions on Dartmoor and to the coast, the fellowship and
the sense of being part of a family.
Elizabeth registered the Shallowford Trust as an independent charity in 2004. It has no formal link with the
Providence House Charity (Reg. No 303282) but it is closely associated with it. Providence’s activities are defined
as:
• Providence House Youth Club operates open youth clubs, sporting activities and training programmes throughout the year for young people ages 5 - 21 years old, with a rolling programme of residential trips to Dartmoor in partnership with the Shallowford Trust.
• The charity networks with local community groups to enhance its programme and work more effectively in the locality
Elizabeth left the farm, land and buildings to The Shallowford Trust. Probate was granted in May 2014, and the
ownership transfer of the farm has now been completed.
Our strategic Intent
Miss Elizabeth Braund bequeathed the farm, its land and a substantial legacy to the Trust.
In the knowledge that this substantial gift would be forthcoming, the Board of Trustees resolved to develop residential accommodation on the farm to provide young people from schools and other organisations, throughout the UK, with the opportunity to immerse themselves in farm life in this very rural part of Dartmoor. We are currently seeking planning permission to progress the project.
The Trustees have agreed to implement a business plan that, by the end of 2021, will place the charity in a self-supporting financial position with annual revenues roughly matching annual expenditure. Any shortfall being met by annual fundraising to support the charitable work of the trust and in particular subsidising visits from disadvantaged communities and young people in particular.
Our Mission
To continue to be a Christian community
focused on serving others and building
bridges
To reach young people, leading them to life
changing discoveries
To deliver quality experiences in hospitality,
environmental education, rural skills and
farming
To achieve break even finances within 5
years and secure a sustainable future for
the Trust
Our Vision
Shallowford will be a place of discovery that
influences people throughout their
lives …offering the best farm experience for
Development
The farm always lacked accommodation though the upstairs of the farm house and caravans were used for rudimentary overnight stays until 2008. Now there is no accommodation at the farm apart from 2 “spare rooms” in the Farmhouse. Most visiting groups currently stay at Bellever Youth Hostel
1.Buildings
The planning application for a major development, providing residential accommodation in the old farm buildings, creating new educational facilities and safe farm buildings has been drawn up and submitted to DNP on 22 October 2015. .
The Architect’s brief has been to design accommodation for up to 40 people, primarily in small, en-suite rooms for up to 6 children or just 2 adults.
The accommodation will include a large meeting room/dining room, changing rooms, outdoor learning spaces, kitchen and stores, etc Outside there will be two zones: A Safe Zone where everyone can wander from house to courtyard to recreation meadow, to vegetable garden without danger of encountering farm waste micro-organisms. A Farm Zone where, at a clear boundary point, PPE will be worn and children and adults equipped to work safely with farm animals. New farm buildings will be created, designed to allow children to move safely around the area at different times of the farming year as appropriate.
Governance
In 2014 a resident Manager (Debbie Sandels) was appointed to oversee the running and development of the charity. She has taken responsibility for the day to day running of the Charity and existing staff and volunteers, reporting to the `Chair of Trustees and Board
The trustees have formed sub groups to report to the Board on finance, fund raising, farm management, buildings and governance. The Trustees meet regularly.
A framework for governance, compliance and management of the Trust have also been put in place. This has included:
Branding, logo and website design (www.shallowfordfarm.co.uk) commissioned and implemented. The strap-line “Making the Difference” has been agreed.
Policies relating to risks and activities have been refreshed and updated, including all required procedures for creating a safe environment for children. CCPAS is being used to ensure Safeguarding compliance
Roderick James Architects have been appointed, plans have been drawn up and a planning application made to the DNPA
2. Staff
The key appointment of a Trust Manager has been made. Debbie Sandels, a qualified and experienced teacher, has had 25 years in outdoor education and spent 10 of those years setting up and running a self-financing residential centre for school farm visits at Hennock. She is a member of the regional committee of the Institute of Outdoor Learning and an Accredited Practitioner of the Institute of Outdoor Learning She has built good working relationships with the existing staff and is also managing a growing number of volunteers who assist on visits and events. Currently there are over 20 volunteers. She is also growing strong links with local schools and churches. She is well-placed to recruit further staff as the need arises.
3. Target Groups
To meet the financial targets a mix of paying groups, subsidised groups and free visits are envisaged. Although possibly desirable to offer all groups a low-cost visit.
The paying groups are primarily planned to be schools. Hence the facility is designed to accommodate a whole class plus 2-3 teachers. The need to keep sexes segregated means that there needs to be an element of over-supply depending on the ratio of sexes in the class.
In the marketplace the other farms offering a similar experience (Farms for Inner City Children) are currently all full. The Fundraising group has reported on the FfICC charges and found them to be in line with the Business plan projections. From market research it will be possible to source the primary schools to fill the autumn, summer and spring terms. The target will be a maximum of 25 weeks occupancy annually.
Through the Moor Than meets the Eye scheme Shallowford Farm intends to provide a Rural Skills Training facility enabling people of all ages to gain knowledge and practice in the skills that support the Dartmoor landscape and feed into the proposed Dartmoor Diploma.
Other paying groups will be organised retreats, conferences, visits from special needs groups etc in the low season and during school holidays. Subsidised visits would be from groups of inner city, under privileged or economically challenged backgrounds who otherwise wouldn’t be able to come. These will come in the holidays and weekends, so there is no overlap with the school groups.
Operational considerations
The minimum bed provision of 40 beds are needed to accommodate a school class on average and to provide the necessary flexibility
Income levels, variable costs are benchmarked against those charged by Heatree Activity Centre and Farms for Inner City Children.
A prudent time span of six years from 2015 is targeted to achieve the target occupancy levels per annum.
Use on ‘median’ charges per head with sensitivities to movement in income and variable costs.
Assuming the current staffing is required to service Providence House visits and hence is the minimum required by the Trust.
Capital Works
A QS has been employed to scope the financial expenditure associated with the planned build. The Trust have taken expert financial and accounting advice.
Grants and donations are being sought to augment the resources available to the Trust.
We are confident we have and can raise the necessary resources to fund the development and we will not embark on any phase of the project without the necessary funding being in place
Some grants have already been offered e.g. £10,000 from Moor than Meets the Eye (matched with £10,000 of volunteer time) to develop the educational work in Rural Skills.
