New Video Post Lets Children - And Big Kids Alike - Meet Our Rare Breeds

Our Rare Breeds Centre in Hadleigh has launched a video blog to keep visitors in touch with the animals it cares for. Although the centre is only open from April until September, and on weekends only in October, those who want to check in on our animals can now visit online.

Among those who will enjoy their 30 minutes of fame are Banjo, the centre’s African pygmy albino hedgehog, Tommy the Herman tortoise and a variety of rare breed as-yet-unhatched chicks.

                                [View: Hadleigh Farm's ani-cam]

Banjo is the ‘grumpy old man’ of the centre – he does not like mornings at all - while Tommy loves attention. In hot weather he can be found outside ‘chasing’ the centre’s rabbits, while in colder weather he basks in the staff’s attention as they work indoors near his tank. There will be plenty of characters for all ages to enjoy!

Hadleigh Training Centre Programme Manager Bradley Craddock said: ‘As a church and charity, The Salvation Army helps people who need support in communities. At our training centre, we have helped people who have faced obstacles to learning and employment and teach them vital life and work skills – the work at the Rare Breeds Centre forms part of this work.

‘We work to remove barriers trainees face on the path to employment and enable them to develop wider life skills, all the time supporting them as they gain belief in their own capabilities and prove these capabilities to others.’

Farm Manager Emma Sayers said: ‘At our Rare Breeds Centre we teach our trainees and visitors about the animals native to the UK which are declining. They can also meet those we are working to preserve. Our trainees learn to care for and work with these animals as a part of their studies.’

Students tackle issues from their lack of confidence and wellbeing to arrested education, as well as battling social stigma attached to their particular conditions. While at the training centre, they are able to take part in training in carpentry, catering, hospitality and retail, estates management, horticulture, IT and rare breeds.

In addition to the ani-cam viewpoint going live on the Hadleigh Rare Breeds web page today, The Salvation Army’s Schools and Colleges Unit, which provides education information about The Salvation Army and its work, has created resources for teachers to use alongside the film posts here