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A one-year certificate in practice support in social farming is now available to applicants at University College Cork (UCC). The aim is to provide farmers with the skills to work with people with disabilities.
The course was launched in conjunction with the Skellig Centre for Research and Innovation and UCC’s adult continuing education and applied social science departments.
The programme will provide students with the skills to work with people with disability both on social farms and in a community setting.
Social farming helps foster social inclusion
“We listened to the farming community and they wanted a course that gives them the confidence to work with people with disabilities,” said Skellig Centre for Research and Innovation manager Belinda Gascoigne.
“Social farming helps foster social inclusion and it is inspiring to see a passionate community rapidly growing around social farming in Ireland.”
O’Sullivan farm
Kerry farmers Breda and Patrick O’Sullivan have been participating in social farming for the past three years.
They have someone also by the name of Breda O’Sullivan, who travels from Killorglin every week to spend time with the family and help out with the animals.
“Rural Ireland has been getting lonelier and lonelier and as one thing after another closes, social farming has drawn our community together.
"Breda has become part of our family and you just have to look at the scrapbook she keeps of her visits here to see how much it means to her.
"Every week I participate in UCC’s new course and it has helped build my confidence and understanding,” said Breda.
The course was officially launched by the Minister at the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, Brendan Griffin. Kerry social farming is run on a voluntary basis and currently operates in 19 farms across the county.
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