This week, we welcomed two volunteering groups from Downe House and CarneySweeney to Prior’s Court to tackle some hard work in our Countryside Learning Centre, an area of site which teaches the young people we support about animal husbandry and getting used to being around animals. 

The Downe House group joined us for the evening and quickly got involved. They mucked out the sheep paddock and cleared nettles from around the outdoor classroom and pig enclosures. This work has made these areas safer and more accessible, reducing the risk of stings and helping autistic young people with complex needs feel more confident using the space.

They all did a fantastic job, and between the 15 of them they completed roughly two full days of work for our groundsman. 

The following day, a group of 11 came from CarneySweeney to continue the great work of Downe House. They enthusiastically dismantled a disused shed in order to provide more space for our young people to learn in lessons, and they laid paving slabs down in the sheep paddock to provide greater accessibility for the young people when looking after the sheep, improving accessibility by providing a stable surface for autistic young people with complex needs to walk on while caring for the animals.

This brave group also made an incredible start on perhaps the largest project the volunteers have been tasked with - re-digging nature walk path, a figure-of-eight path which moves around the back of the CLC which provides the young people to walk around and observe nature. The walk contains a bug hotel and many other things to see, so the creation of the new path will allow more young people to access the area. It is a big job though, and hard work.

Each improvement supports better access to learning and helps ensure that autistic young people with complex needs can engage more fully with their environment.

See what our other corporate partners have done to support our work

Interested in getting involved?

Partnering with Prior’s Court is a meaningful way for businesses to make a real difference in the lives of autistic young people with complex needs.

Become a Prior's Court corporate partner