BURSCOUGH Community Farm has received a donation from Prospect Homes that has enabled them to secure next year’s crops – and they got help to plant them too.

The housebuilder, who is building 54 homes on Orrell Lane in the town, gave a voluntary donation of £1000 to the farm that was used to purchase compost, seeds, apple trees and essential tools.

The farm is a community interest company (CIC) which means that it uses its profits to benefit the community. They grow crops for commercial wholesale which covers the farms costs, and the rest of the fruit and vegetables is given away to volunteers and visitors.

Gaynor Pickering, a volunteer at the farm said: “Prospect Homes’ donation has helped us out a lot. We rely on our crops to keep the farm going so thanks to their donation, we have managed to secure crops for year next.”

Twelve members from Prospect Homes also spent a day volunteering at the farm.

Gaynor continues: “Prior to Covid, we had a wide range of people who volunteered at the farm including families, single people, people who suffered with mental health difficulties and learning difficulties and retirees.  However post-covid, we have seen volunteer numbers decline. It was lovely to have the help from the Prospect team as they experienced first-hand that it’s a great way for people to socialise and spend time in nature and also give back to their local community.”

Charlotte Milburn, assistant site manager at Prospect’s Burscough development, Bridgemere, said: “A few of the volunteers, myself included, work on the construction team so we put our building skills to good use. We built a raised bed that will be used to plant crops, a task the volunteers at the farm said would have take them three months to complete.”

Prospect Homes will also save building materials from Bridgemere that can be repurposed on the farm, for example wooden pallets.

Supporting the farm is in keeping with Prospect’s ethos of helping communities.

Sam Williams, head of sales at Prospect Homes said: “The farm’s mission of using profits to benefit the community is very much in line with our own ethos. Being part of the Riverside Group, a not-for-profit organisation, means our profits go towards tackling homelessness, improving communities and supporting the most vulnerable in society. So, when customers buy a Prospect home they play their part in helping others.”

To find out more about the farm visit: www.burscoughcommunityfarm.org

To find out more about the homes for sale at Bridgemere, Prospect’s sales executive, Zoe Ball, is available at Moving Works every Thursday- Monday from 10am-5.30pm. Call 01704 468388 or visit www.prospecthomes.co.uk/new-homes/bridgemere for more information.