Save the date 04.07.2014

Speciality Bites with

Paul Hargreaves

Chief executive of Cotswold Fayre

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I am writing this from the Bala Orphanage in Western Kenya. Many of you may know that Cotswold Fayre has been involved with the Children's Centre to give it its proper name for a number of years. With funds raised through the first ever Speciality Food Charity Ball in 2012, we started a farm out here. Our dream is to start businesses here that will generate enough funds to cover the day-to-day running costs of the centre, which comprises of a home to 100 aids-orphans and a school to around 300 children (90% of whom are also orphans)

The first of these businesses is the farm which was started in April 2013, when I was here last with £20k seed capital raised at the last ball. So far we have built a zero-grazing area which will hold around 10 dairy cows in comfort, one greenhouse, a store room and office, water tanks and pumps and planted out around 7 acres of crops. Amazing how far the money goes here. The first crop of tomatoes has just been harvested, water melon are growing (I have one next to me) and there are two cows enjoying much TLC with a third due to arrive in two days’ time, the day I leave, so hopefully in the morning. With all that we have actually run out of money, but as a company we are committed to making this work, so will continue to subsidise the farm until it is in profit, which should be around April next year.

This ongoing agricultural project is having a positive impact on the surrounding community. Never before in this part of Kenya have tomatoes been grown intensively in greenhouses, and never before have they had Ayrshire/Fresion cross cows as dairy herds. The yield of the latter is around 3-4 times that of the local cows. A further benefit of starting these businesses is to inspire the young people here that they can do something different. They don’t have to be stuck in the old ways of doing things, which in farming is very subsistence and low profit. They can dream and start their own businesses.

It always inspires me when visiting Kenya to see the commitment of the staff here and amazement that they do so much with so little. Of course, we would like to help them more. That’s where you come in. Save the date in your diary now for next years’ Speciality Food Ball - 4th July 2014. We hope you can join us in helping this very needy community.

See you there if not before!