In April of 2023, the Give Where You Live Foundation made the bold decision to purchase The Paddock, a seven acre farm in Leopold.
The purchase of The Paddock strongly aligns with our goal to build community assets and support learning and employment pathway opportunities, particularly for people facing barriers. The Paddock is a place where people of all abilities can come together to learn life skills, contribute and connect.
Now a certified social enterprise, those who continue to engage with the property, are back learning and growing, and creating a thriving community. One of those participants is Matt, who’s passion for his work at The Paddock is infectious. Matt spends four days a week in The Paddock’s nurseryand kitchen, learning all the things that will help him one day reach his
goal of living independently and finding paid employment.
Through his time at The Paddock, working alongside Farm Manager, Chris Evans, Matt has discovered an affinity for plants. He can reel off the scientific names of the native plants, lovingly planted and grown in the urban farm’s nursery.
“I’ve been coming here for a long time. But it’s only been in the last few years that I’ve been almost full time and learning lots from Chris. It’s such a great place to be. I love coming here. There’s not a day I wake up and don’t want to come out here.”
Chris notes that Matt has been working hard on learning new processes. “Matt does a really great job. He’s taken responsibility for working out the systems behind the planting. He’s worked out a filing system for the seedlings and is now learning how to put that into an electronic record of everything that’s planted here.”
Matt, who is thriving on his weekly visits to The Paddock, says his main reason for attending is to achieve his goal of eventually finding paid work.
“My goal in coming out here is to achieve paid work and to live independently. That’s the big goal at the top of the tree. I’ve learned a lot of skills out here at The Paddock. Really, I’d be lost without this place.”
Find out more and read the full article in this year’s edition of Conversations Magazine