Holyport farm appeals for help to turn 'blank canvas' into new learning centre

A farm and therapeutic learning centre in Holyport has found a new home but continues to appeal for help to make the move.

Heroes Berkshire and Animal Rangers rescue animals and offer alternative provision for children who struggle with mainstream education.

The organisation has been in Bartletts Lane for 10 years and must relocate from its current site by September 2025.

Founder Dawn Dingwall told the Advertiser they are ‘trying to make work’ a new site on Drift Road, but it still needs enclosures, classrooms and car parking.

“There’s an awful lot of work that’s got to be done. It’s just a blank canvas,” she said.

“It does seem a million miles away, but I'm confident we will get there.”

Dawn launched her business after home-educating her children nearly 20 years ago and delivered hands-on projects at various venues, including the Old Shire Horse Centre.

“We had a farm there which we were allowed to use and used that property to pilot a project with animals,” she said.

“Then animals just started coming to us – people started phoning us up saying, ‘can you please take these animals?’

“We started to realise how fantastic working with young people and animals was.”

When VillageLife in Littlewick Green shut down in 2010, the farmer supplying Heroes with hay offered a plot of land in Holyport, where the animal farm and learning centre later launched.

“It’s taken us 10 years to get it more or less how we want it, and now we’ve got to move,” said Dawn.

“All these animals that come there for their forever homes have to move again.”

Dawn said relocating within Maidenhead was crucial because more than 70 young people rely on the service weekly and didn’t ‘want to be a million miles away’.

The six full-time staff and volunteers were ‘absolutely heartbroken’ that the current landowner had to sell the land, but he offered another plot he thought might be suitable.

“There are a lot of old buildings, and probably needs planning permission to take down, so we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us to get it into a good space,” said Dawn.

“But the potential is there, and we've already got the animals, so we just need to make it suitable for them.”

The challenge is fundraising for the deposit and moving expenses to rebuild enclosures and relocate animals, through eBay sales, bicycle projects and a GoFundMe launched on March 29.

Dawn is optimistic. She has appealed to local companies for sponsorship and is considering joint ventures with other charities.

She said Heroes is a place of ‘learning, growth and healing’ for young people and animals.

“We’ve had incredible support with people giving funds and wanting to come along and help us move,” added Dawn.

“We don't want to suddenly stop because parents rely on us, so we’re moving gradually.

“It’s like we’re running two places – it’s quite difficult.

“For some children, this is the only place they come; they don’t go out of the house any other time except just to come to Heroes.

“I think because Heroes is always very consistent. The animals are totally non-judgmental and there for them.

“It’s a place of safety for a lot of children.”

Heroes is aimed at young people but offers work experience opportunities, animal clubs on weekends and ‘Magical Mondays’ for adults to spend a morning outside with animals.

The organisation will host volunteer days in late July, August and September for people to help with the move, and Dawn said they have received an ‘awful lot of responses’.

For more information about the fundraiser, visit https://tinyurl.com/3jetbn4c