About STURTS COMMUNITY TRUST

Sturts Community Trust is an exciting venture bringing together a range of social initiatives built around a vision of promoting sustainability.

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About US

Sturts Community Trust is an exciting venture bringing together a range of social initiatives built around a vision of promoting sustainability.

We are a registered charity and also a registered housing association. Our care services are regulated by the Care Quality Commission.

We have our base on Sturts Farm, a 90 acre working organic biodynamic farm on the outskirts of West Moors. We have a number of housing projects on the site and also in the local community. We opened Twin Oaks in April 2021, as an additional new-build scheme and we have plans to extend our housing provision. As a Camphill Community, Sturts Farm has, for well over 30 years, been offering land-based work opportunities, individualised support and supported living for adults who have a learning disability. With the founding of the Sturts Community Trust we are building on this rich history by opening up our resources and expertise in social work, social housing and agriculture to benefit a wider range of individuals within our local community in East Dorset.

Our vision is to promote opportunities in land-based activities, including on our farm, in our homes, in our garden; opportunities for lifelong learning based around the themes of sustainability, food and the arts; to offer opportunities to benefit from accommodation; and to offer individuals with a learning disability the level of individualised support they need.

Sturts Community Trust aims to be a vibrant and valued resource within our local community by offering access to a local farm and to local food and through this to build relationships through working and learning together. We hope you enjoy finding out more about us.

OUR HISTORY

Over forty years ago, we began working on our farmland in a sustainable way and use biodynamic farming methods. We also offer land-based working opportunities on our farm for adults with learning difficulties here in East Dorset.

We’ve been farming Biodynamically for over 40 years, with a simple passion for real food. We wanted food from our farm to your fork which is why we opened Gullivers Farm, Shop & Kitchen in October 2015, to put good food on your table.

We have been lucky enough to win several awards with one of our latest being voted The Best Independent Retailer of the year in The Dorset Food, Drink & Farming Awards in 2019, something that makes us extremely proud.

SUSTAINABILITY AT STURTS

Growing our produce and raising our animals with the greatest care and consideration, in a way that respects our environment and are the core values on which our farm was founded. What started as a small farming venture has turned into a real passion to feed the community with high quality, nutritious produce.

We source from local, artisan suppliers that are handpicked who share our commitment to sustainability and produce food of the highest quality. We are fully transparent in what we do and are very open for you to come visit our farm to see for yourself, how our animals are kept, where our vegetables are grown and how our food is produced.

SUSTAINABILITY AT STURTS

Sustainability is now a global responsibility and it demands changes in behavior.

Biodynamic agriculture focusses on working with nature – it seeks to create a self-sustaining organism that is both organic but also resists the need to buy in products. Therefore, as far as possible, a farm would have components of livestock, meat & dairy, vegetable growing and arable feed-growing activity.
In this way the soil in constantly rejuvenated by the activity of the farm and not by bought in –organic or non-organic fertilizers.

The key process of this rejuvenating of the soil centre’s around the cows – particularly the ‘milking cows’, compost making and the sowing of nitrogen enhancing crops such as clover sown with oats. At Sturts Community Trust, our animals are fed exclusively on grass and feeds grown on our farm land.

SUSTAINABILITY AT STURTS

Sustainability is now a global responsibility and it demands changes in behavior.

SUSTAINABILITY AT STURTS

OUR TRUSTEES

Sturts Community Trust is an exciting venture bringing together a range of social initiatives built around a vision of promoting sustainability. We are a registered charity and also a registered housing association. It is governed by a board of trustees whose responsibility is to set the strategic direction of the organisation, define policies and appoint and monitor the effectiveness of the management team.

GABRIELLE GRAY

ROSEMARY DARBY-JENKINS

JOY MALYON

MANAGEMENT GROUP

Tim Woodward
Amy Mcintosh
Georgina Woodward
Lee Doran
Ruth Osholiki

Sturts Community Trust, Sturts Farm, Three Cross Road, West Moors, Dorset BH22 0NF
T: 01202 854762 F: 01202 854763 E: office@sturtsfarm.com

Sturts Community Trust is a non-profit making limited company registered in the UK (No.8359958), a registered housing association (5089) and a registered charity (No. 1152152)

A member of the Association of Camphill Communities