Five Acres Community Garden

19/02/2026

Today has been an incredibly difficult day for us at Five Acres.

We arrived on site to discover that we had been broken into. Holes had been deliberately cut into our fencing and into our storage container to gain entry, and a significant amount of valuable equipment has been taken.

Five Acres is a day centre supporting vulnerable adults with SEN needs. We are a not for profit organisation, run solely for the benefit of our community and the adults we support. We do not exist to generate profit. Every penny, every donation and every fundraising effort goes directly back into creating opportunities, structure and meaningful experiences for those in our care.

Everything on our site has been carefully fundraised for, donated or saved for over time. Nothing here is surplus. Every tool, every resource and every improvement has a purpose and plays a role in the daily lives of the adults we support.

To see a community project like ours targeted in this way is deeply saddening. The loss is not just financial. It affects the activities we can deliver, the routines we provide and the sense of security we work so hard to maintain.

Today we have focused on repairing the physical damage and securing the site once again. We remain resilient and fully committed to the people who rely on us, but the impact is significant.

We have shared a donation link for anyone who feels able to support us in restoring what has been damaged and replacing essential items. As a not for profit organisation, every contribution, no matter the size, makes a real and immediate difference.

Thank you for continuing to stand beside us and for believing in what Five Acres represents.

https://paymentrequest.natwestpayit.com/reusable-link/21c0cb9d-e24e-4519-937d-7b571b96f97e

18/02/2026

Wacky Wednesday at Five Acres 🤪🐴

Today at Five Acres we’ve basically qualified for the Olympics… if the events included mud wrestling, pancake flipping, and extreme goat bucket jet washing. 🏅

We kicked off the day by letting Bailey and her new boyfriend, Nimbus, loose in the paddock for a romantic run-around. Things escalated quickly. It turned less “graceful countryside frolic” and more “mud bath championship 2026.” 🐎💨
Bailey absolutely smashed the competition and took home gold for Most Unrecognisable Horse. Nimbus tried his best to keep it classy… he failed.

After their muddy modelling session, they were escorted back to sparkling fresh stables and treated like the VIPs they clearly think they are. Hay nets? Served. Full pamper session? Delivered. Head-to-toe makeover? Obviously.
Nimbus even popped over to introduce himself to the sheep. We’re not saying there was gossip… but there was definitely staring. 🐑👀

Meanwhile, the goats were living their best luxury lifestyle. Fresh feed, fresh water, and buckets so clean you could probably see your reflection in them — all thanks to Connor and his jet-washing mission. 🐐🪣
Keep your eyes peeled… goat plans are brewing, and we’re not kidding when we say big things are coming. (Well… medium-sized. They are goats.)

Thomas had a very serious task today. A mission of national importance. We ventured to Tesco, where he bravely selected chocolate spread for pancake filling. 🥞🍫
A bold choice. A correct choice. A heroic choice.

Kyran and the team then channelled their inner Gordon Ramsay — minus the shouting (mostly) — flipping pancakes like their reputations depended on it. Not a single pancake was harmed in the process. Probably. 🔥👏

Lunch was well deserved after all that elite athletic performance. The kitchen crew whipped up cheese & onion sandwiches or chicken & bacon sandwiches, with crisps and salad on the side. Honestly? Five-star countryside dining. 🌟🥗

This afternoon, Bailey and Nimbus enjoyed a mint lick and plenty of tickles from the Champions. Safe to say Nimbus has settled in beautifully — and is already completely spoiled. As he should be. 🥰

Oh — and the Model Railway layout got its second layer of paint! Steady progress… no derailments so far. 🚂🎨

A HUGE thank you to everyone who donated towards bringing Nimbus home. He is already loved, muddy, and fully part of the chaos. We couldn’t have done it without you ❤️

See you all tomorrow for whatever madness Thursday decides to bring! 😄

17/02/2026

17/02/2026

Happy Tuesday everybody

What a flipping fantastic day we’ve had

We are absolutely over the moon to announce that this morning we had a very special delivery from Blue Cross… please give a huge Five Acres welcome to Nimbus, our beautiful new horse

Nimbus arrived like he owns the place, had a good look around, got settled straight away and is already making himself at home. We think he knows he’s landed on his hooves here

This morning we learned all about Shrove Tuesday. Why do we eat pancakes? What does it mean? And most importantly… what toppings are elite tier and which ones belong in pancake prison. The debates were serious. Strong opinions were shared. Friendships were tested

Cooking School absolutely smashed it today with homemade lasagne, garlic bread and fresh salad. The smell alone was enough to make everyone “just check” if it was ready yet… several times. Delicious does not even cover it

This afternoon we put our knowledge to the ultimate test… it was time to flip

Some pancakes were round
Some pancakes were… creative
Some pancakes attempted to reach the ceiling

But every single one was homemade and made with pride. And that’s what counts

Jokes with Joe is officially out, so prepare yourselves for some top tier comedy. You’ve been warned

Have a lovely evening everybody
See you all tomorrow for more fun, laughter and probably more food

Team Five Acres 💚

16/02/2026

Happy Monday everybody ☀️

What a FANTASTIC first day back we’ve had at Five Acres!

We kicked things off with cookie making and there was some very impressive rolling pin action going on. The cookie cutters were working overtime and the concentration levels were high. We might just be ready for The Great British Bake Off 👀

Next up were our cinnamon swirls. Puff pastry sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, rolled up beautifully and baked until golden. Once they were out of the oven we decorated them with royal icing. It did get a little sticky but that just means we were fully committed. Taste testing was essential… purely for quality purposes of course.

Cooking School made delicious cheese and onion toasties served with fries and salad. Crispy, melty and absolutely no leftovers in sight.

This afternoon we completed our recipe cards from today’s baking session so we can refer back to the menu in the future. Organisation level… 10 out of 10.

This morning we were also joined by Graeme Watson from Great Aycliffe Rotary
Club for our brilliant 5A Project. He came in to help us continue building our 5A model railway and it’s really starting to take shape now. Today we used textured spray paint to create the foundation for our railway track. Very serious work going on. Hard hats not required… but enthusiasm definitely was.

And finally… as many of you may have seen earlier, we went to see a potential companion for Bailey over the weekend. We are currently in the process of adopting and it’s all very exciting. Watch this space 👀🐴

Have a lovely evening everybody. See you tomorrow for more fun, flour and fantastic teamwork 😊

16/02/2026

We have some very exciting news to share with you all 💙

Five Acres is hoping to welcome a beautiful new addition to our family… a 3 year old Cob called Nimbus.

Nimbus is an absolute charmer. We recently visited him at his current home and completely fell in love. He has the sweetest nature, a gentle temperament and so much potential to grow with our team and the champions we support. We truly believe he will make a wonderful difference to life at Five Acres.

To make this possible, we are asking for your support.

We are fundraising to help cover the costs of:
• Purchasing Nimbus
• Safe transportation to bring him home
• His insurance to ensure he is protected and well cared for

Every single donation, no matter how small, will go directly towards giving Nimbus the safe, loving and purposeful home he deserves. Your support will help us continue providing meaningful animal care experiences for the champions who attend Five Acres, building confidence, responsibility and joy through connection with our animals.

If you would like to donate, please use the secure link below:
👉 https://paymentrequest.natwestpayit.com/reusable-link/21c0cb9d-e24e-4519-937d-7b571b96f97e

Even sharing this post could help us reach someone who is able to support.

We would also like to say a huge thank you to Amanda & Mia from Blue Cross for supporting us with Bailey and now Nimbus. It is always such a positive outcome and a pleasure working with you both. Your support means so much to us and to our animals.

Together, we can give this lovely boy the future he deserves.

Thank you for always standing with Five Acres 💜

13/02/2026

Happy Friday everybody! What a week it’s been 😅🎉

We kicked off the morning with a super relaxing sensory session using our fidget toys, very kindly bought from our Amazon Wishlist. Safe to say they were well loved and possibly fought over 👀

Next up… Valentine’s Day cupcake decorating 🧁💘 sprinkles everywhere, serious artistic concentration, and a few cupcakes that mysteriously went missing along the way.

Cooking school was serving absolute comfort food vibes with delicious quiche, beans and roast potatoes. And for dessert… we polished off the cakes we made yesterday. Because cake leftovers are a responsibility, right?

This afternoon we had a lovely visit from Chris from Oakes Energy, giving us an update on our renewables. Lots of exciting things happening and always great to see you!

To finish the day, we got competitive with a game of Connect 4 and Harry showed off his handwriting skills along with some top-tier Stick Man drawings 🤣 true modern art.

Have a great evening everybody and we’ll see you on Monday! 💛✨

12/02/2026

12/02/2026

🎉 Happy Thursday everybody 🎉

Today we kicked things off with mucking out and a full farm tidy. Organised, productive… and only a little bit muddy 🐴

Bailey went for a lovely walk around the site and was one very happy horse. Lots of smiles, lots of strutting, main character energy ✨

The model railway board has been primed today. Very exciting stuff. Big things are coming, watch this space 🚂👀

Over in cooking school we were serving up homemade pasta and quiche with salad. Delicious, impressive, and zero leftovers (always a good sign) 😋

This afternoon we jumped straight into Valentine’s Day baking. Flour everywhere, smiles all round, and lots of sweet treats in the making ❤️🧁

Joe has been busy at home baking Valentine’s Day cookies for everybody. He handed them out this afternoon and the verdict is in… everybody approved 🍪👏
So that means Jokes with Joe is officially OUT and baking with Joe is very much IN

Have a great evening everyone and we’ll see you all tomorrow

11/02/2026

Happy Wednesday everybody! 🌟

We’ve had a lovely day getting stuck into our Valentine’s crafts, chatting about the people we love and appreciate, and celebrating those who care for us (cue all the warm fuzzy feelings 💕). We even had some Valentine’s gifts exchanged, which brought plenty of smiles and a lot of excitement!

There’s been lots of buzz today as we talked all things model railway. Big ideas, big plans, and even bigger excitement levels 🚂

Bailey has also been living her best life, enjoying some enrichment time in the stable with her ball. Safe to say she had an absolute blast and definitely won “happiest horse of the day” 🐴🎾

We wrapped things up with a food and drink quiz followed by a very competitive game of hangman (some strong guesses… and some very questionable ones 😆).

Have a great evening everybody and we’ll see you all tomorrow!