Our Story

A Journey of Passion and Purpose

My love of horses and the countryside started when I was a very small child. We lived in a city, my family were not well off financially, so it was hard for me to get involved in my passion. However, as I got older I had my trusty bicycle and the freedom to go to the stables to help out – that was when I really fell in love with the countryside.

When I left school, I was able to get a job as a Groom, and I enjoyed 7 years going to shows and looking after some very special horses.

A Career of Service

After my time with horses, I went to work for a major fashion retailer, worked my way up and eventually became Project Manager for multi-million-pound retail developments. Then I changed direction – I wanted to do something community-led, so I ventured into Health and Social care for 20 years in the Domiciliary sector.

I have a QCF Level 5 in Leadership for Health and Social Care and Children and Young People’s Services. I then decided to work for myself and set up and ran a successful home help and cleaning business for 11 years.

Finding Purpose Through Challenge

After an illness that affected my skin, I used goat cream and it made such a positive difference that I wanted to set up a business making this cream. In 2020, I achieved a lifelong dream of buying some land to set up my new business, which would have included buying a herd of goats and making goats milk face and body cream, free from any additives.

I then suffered a catastrophic injury to my ankle which seriously affected my mobility and made it difficult for me to deliver my original business idea. This had a serious impact on my mental health.

A New Vision

I found positivity in the 6-acre field I own, and after much consideration I decided that I wanted to share this place with others. The idea is to build a community that can learn from each other and build positive relationships and, more importantly, friendships.

I want to offer support to those struggling with life, feeling socially isolated, or who need moral or practical support. It is important to offer people a supportive community where they can feel comfortable, possibly learning new skills, growing vegetables, plants, flowers, and even a small vineyard.

There will also be opportunities for getting involved in wellness programmes, spending time with our therapy animals (2 horses, 2 pygmy goats, and 2 donkeys), stable management, animal husbandry, land maintenance, barbecues and social events, encouraging wildlife return, visiting the library and information hub in our converted horse box, or just coming to have a cup of tea and a chat.

– Shani Redgrave, Founder