Each year 3Keel offers a helping hand to FarmAbility, an impactful Oxford-based organisation that we have been volunteering with for a number of years.

FarmAbility works in partnership with farms and growing spaces to enable people to benefit from regular, active engagement in productive, outdoor activities with enthusiastic and experienced support as needed. This engagement with land and animals brings significant benefit to the physical health and well-being of FarmAbility’s co-farmers.

Sometimes FarmAbility require an extra hand to complete large jobs on their sites, and this is where 3Keel steps in. This year the 3Keel team spent three days volunteering at Farmability’s sites, with a total of 17 3Keelers taking part. The three days were split across two major projects.

Our first project was to move a large ten by five metre polytunnel from an inaccessible piece of land to a much more user-friendly location in their vegetable garden. This task was no small feat! It took one day to dig out the polytunnel from its original position, and another day to measure and dig the polytunnel back into its new one. The task involved an inordinate amount of measuring, sawing and digging, to ensure that we created a secure polytunnel, with an entrance big enough for wheelchair access. We finished the project just in time for the onset of Autumn – the tunnel will allow co-farmers a warm place to continue growing crops indoors.

Our second project was an extension of one that we worked on last year. An outhouse, used for indoor education and group work, which we have previously cladded the outside of, needed some finishing touches. This year a team of 3Keelers cladded the inside roof of the outhouse, as well as adding a safe set of stairs to the entrance. The team also started the creation of a ramp so that the building can be wheelchair accessible.

The 3Keel team had a brilliant time contributing to these projects and we look forward to more days with FarmAbility in the future.