Roots of Connection – a community-led project

Roots of Connection is a Hereford Community Farm project funded by the Herefordshire Together Fund. The Herefordshire Together Fund is distributed by Herefordshire Community Foundation, supported by Healthwatch Herefordshire and made possible by Public Health. The fund supports community-led prevention solutions to local issues and supports impactful initiatives which reach families in need, improve emotional wellbeing and community cohesion. Throughout the project, we will be running a series of events.

Free Community Event

Thursday 25th  July 2024

11am – 3pm

This will be held at our new Ashley Farm Site: 

Ashley Farm Buildings, Grafton Lane, Hereford, HR2 8B

Bring a picnic and join us for family friendly nature play activities. We’ll also have activities such as pebble painting, drawing and chalking. We will be joined by Angel’s Animal Ark and there will be a sensory nature trail, a ‘quiet zone’ bell tent and a variety of garden games. We will also be joined by Hereford Cycle Hub who will check and fix bicycles for free and a variety of local organisations offering free advice and support. These include:

  • Citizens Advice Hereford  –  www.herefordshirecab.org.uk

    The Citizens Advice service can help with lots of different problems, like making sense of benefits, dealing with debt, problems at work of issues with housing. 

  • Talk Community  –   www.talkcommunity.org

    Talk Community brings Herefordshire together by connecting people to services, groups, community hubs, events and information to help them stay well. 

  • Talk Community Healthy Lifestyles Team

    The Healthy Lifestyle teams can offer help and advice about eating more healthily, being more active, drinking more sensibly, and stopping smoking. 

  • Talk Wellbeing  –  Herefordshiregeneralpractice.co.uk/our practices/health-and-wellbeing 

    The Talk Wellbeing service offers pop-up clinics throughout the county in partnership with community groups and partner organisations. The friendly and experienced healthcare professionals are able to conduct cholesterol and blood pressures checks as well as offering help with a variety of other aspects.

  • Dementia Matters Herefordshire   –   www.dementiamattershere.co.uk

    Dementia Matters Here(fordshire) is a Herefordshire wide independent charity that was set up in January 2020, to fill the gaps in service provision and opportunities for people who are affected by dementia or memory loss, their carers and families. They support people who may already have memory difficulties or are worried about their or a loved one’s memory and we can support and advise you through the diagnosis process if necessary. 

  • Healthwatch Herefordshire  –   www.healthwatchherefordshire.co.uk

    Healthwatch is your local health and are champion. They have the power to make sure NHS leaders and other decision makers listen to your feedback to improve stands of care. 

  • Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue  –   www.hwfire.org.uk

    Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue offers free fire safety advice and will be able to take referrals for free home safety visits for those eligible.

  • hvoss  – www.hvoss.org.uk

    hvoss provide information, guidance and support to volunteers, charities, voluntary and community groups in Herefordshire. All these organisations deliver public benefit and are not for profit. We are locally accountable to them through their membership of hvoss. Our vision is a vibrant and active local voluntary and community sector.

  • Newton Farm Community Hub  – Facebook page

    Newton Farm Community Hub hosts community groups and offers support and company.

There will be other events and opportunities coming soon as part of the Roots of Connection project.

5 x Family Fun Days

(dates & Locations TBC)

At Family Fun Days there will be:

  • Fun, intergenerational activities on offer with provision for those with additional needs (SEND).
  • Information and advice about Early Help and connectivity opportunities
  • Opportunities to speak to other families to share information and experiences

Harvest Event

October 31st

This will be held at our Ashley Farm Site.
Ashley Farm Buildings, Grafton Lane, Hereford, HR2 8BL

At the Harvest Event, there will be:

  • Seasonal intergeneration activities on offer with provision for those with additional needs
  • Pottery workshop
  • Falconry display
  • Opportunities to feedback and celebrate the project successes

Bespoke 1:1 sessions for families at the farm

Dates/times to be agreed with families.

Community-led in approach, Roots of Connection will be facilitated by our Community Engagement Lead who will primarily work with a volunteer base made up of already established and trusted people, places or services in the community. These will be called Community Acorns. This trusted volunteer base will help reach seldom heard voices in the community whose input will be crucial to helping the project identify common community issues and needs at a grassroots level.

Based on information gathered from the community, the project will develop a network of accessible, lasting, community-based support through events, connectivity and the development of a ‘Community Tree’. The Community Tree will be innovative and visual representation of all that is on offer and aims to enthuse, inspire and enable people to self help in order to provide equity of opportunity through inclusion and awareness raising.