Leaders from across the public, private and charity sector turned out at a care farm in Lowestoft as an inaugural conference was hailed a success.
Pathways Care Farm - a charity that utilises a 13 acre farm in north Lowestoft to provide therapeutic support and care for people living with mental ill-health, learning difficulties or dementia - has hosted its first 'Embracing Difference' event.
The event brought together leaders from across the public, private and charity sector - including East Suffolk Council leader Steve Gallant, Adnams CEO Andy Wood, and the chief executive of NHS Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board, Tracey Bleakley.
The farm also hosted Mike Duxbury, Britain’s only blind farmer and co-founder of The Inclusive Farm.
With the event aiming to explore how every organisation can only realise their potential when they greet different needs and abilities with enthusiasm, Geoff Stevens, founder and director of Pathways Care Farm, said: "Every day on the farm we see the true potential of people who are too often forgotten.
"That might be someone with autism, someone struggling with their mental health or someone whose life has taken the wrong turn.
"Our approach is to treat them as people first, and any differences we see as something that makes them unique.
"The community this creates really helps people to thrive in ways they didn’t think possible which is why we want to spread that ethos.
"This event was about getting others around the table to explore how they can put that into practice."
The conference featured talks from a range of leaders and subject experts - including talks on 'What does it mean to be a caring employer' to 'Living with a difference and discrimination.'
Pathways Care Farm has been putting the 'Embracing Difference' approach into practice - with the charity’s horticulture course and catering course taking on groups of people who had been long-term unemployed, to be taught the skills they needed while helping them to gain self-confidence, self-esteem and resilience.
Reaction
East Suffolk Council leader, Steve Gallant, said: "I was delighted to welcome such a great collection of leaders to the Embracing Difference conference at Pathways Care Farm.
"East Suffolk Council has a close working relationship with the Farm and as one of my final roles as leader of the council it was wonderful to be part of an event that puts a spotlight on the values and benefits of 'difference’ within workplaces and communities.
Mike Duxbury, Britain's only blind farmer and co-founder of The Inclusive Farm, said: "I have been giving a lot of thought to the meeting and hope, as leaders, we can influence others and create a long term programme.
"I have no doubt that whoever comes to Pathways will be safe and secure and gain a lot of support from your team.
"We now need more organisations to follow that lead."
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