A RURAL education centre that helps transform the lives of people excluded from school or out of work is hoping to expand to Cheshire.
Agri-cation, based near Bangor-on-Dee in North Wales, was established in 2020 and supported more than 1,000 people last year.
If funding allows, it is hoping to expand the service into Cheshire, Flintshire, and Shropshire.
Cheryl Reeves, who runs the centre, said: "What we do here makes a huge difference to the people we help, it gives them purpose, and once they have that purpose, they get so much more confidence.
"They have become more resilient, they are able to get out into the big wide world and not feel so anxious about it."
The centre operates from a working family farm and offers a blend of hands-on agricultural work and tailored support.
It helps participants build confidence and develop practical skills to move into jobs, apprenticeships, or further education.
Many young people and adults have found the farm-based environment more effective than traditional education or training settings.
Participants are funded and referred to the group by councils, charities, and the Department for Work and Pension.
Participants come from a wide area, including Llangollen, Corwen, and Rhyl.
Ms Reeves said: "The people who come here predominantly learn about farming, but we also try to do social skills and life skills with them.
"Some of the youngsters who are referred here don’t know how to behave with their peer group so it is about working on their manners, how they interact with others.
"And that is so important - if you were going to seek employment, how you behave, your body language, is vital.
"We have been successful in getting people into the world of work, people who have gone on to apprenticeships, people who have gone onto college, and people who have just been able to go on to live independently."
The centre has received significant support from animal bedding firm Platts Agriculture, whose involvement has helped raise its profile and secure vital funding.
Platts won the Made a Difference Award at the West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber of Commerce annual recognition awards, in part due to its support for Agri-cation.
Caroline Platt, managing director of Platts, is a strong supporter of the centre’s work.
She said: "The work done here is transformational, it is genuinely changing people’s lives and having a massive impact on our society.
"Agri-cation gives people education about agriculture, food, nature and just the basics of life."
Programmes at the centre typically last around six weeks, though some individuals attend for several months to build their confidence and resilience.
Socially isolated participants can also learn basic skills such as cooking, and on-site therapists provide additional support during each session.
The initiative also hosts educational visits for schools and colleges.
Ms Reeves said: "We are looking to expand the site, we want to develop a hub where people can come for therapy, or they can rent the space and use it for what they need.
"We want to do more outreach, we are not hitting enough of the community that I would like to."
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