Dreamcatcher Farm and the LOL Foundation

Dreamcatcher Farm is a 12 acre site to the north of Bosley, near Congleton in Cheshire. The holding currently consists of one large field maintained as pasture with an adjoining modern building fitted out as warehousing and offices.

The site has recently been handed over to the LOL Foundation by Dawn Gibbons, a local benefactor. The Foundation was set up in September 2012 to channel the support in Congleton for ex-service personnel who have served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and have been living on the streets. The Foundation will support casualties by providing them with counselling, housing and employment.

Dreamcatcher Farm is a place where the charity will provide re-habilitative work, encouraging self-esteem and making pathways into permanent employment. The personnel who are working on the land report that this has really energised and motivated them, it helps them with their learning, and also that they can contribute their own skills, making it a win win situation.

The Foundation has asked CommEnt CIC to work with them to produce a permaculuture design for the site. The design team is led by Angus Soutar. Concept design work started in January 2013.

The design brief is to provide meaningful work for the beneficiaries of the Foundation, at the same time optimising the site yields as economic, social and ecological benefits.

It is envisaged that the design team will be working over a period of several years to develop the site to its full potential - a "rolling permaculture" strategy will be adopted.

The site is undulating, with a gentle slope, but the eastern boundary is right next to the steeper outcrops of the southern Peak District.

Location and directions