The "Wooden Spoon Way" benefited from a £17,500 contribution from Spoon. The path links the farm with a new all-weather surface, used for pony-riding lessons by the many children that visit Whirlow Hall Farm.
The path is finished with a special surface to enable physically disabled children, including those in wheelchairs, to access the all-weather surface as well as visit the goats and other animals that graze nearby.
The Whirlow Hall Farm Trust was established in 1979 to provide disadvantaged children with an experience of farm life.
The 138 acre farm is rented from Sheffield Council and encompasses a commercial pig unit selling 400 pigs per annum, nearly 300 ewes, a few goats (as seen at right with Spooners Philip Blunden and Richard Smith), two horses and turkeys.
The Trust was successful in winning money from “The People’s Millions”, an ITV show that enabled the farm to put in an all-weather surface.
The Wooden Spoon Way was officially opened by two stars of Emmerdale, Christopher Villiers (aka Grayson Sinclair) and his TV wife, Perdita Hyde-Sinclair played by Georgia Slowe.
The first children to use the new path after the formal opening were children from Oakes Park School.
The Chief Executive of the Trust, Bridget Evans welcomed all the guests and thanked Wooden Spoon for their major contribution to the Wooden Spoon Way.
After the cutting of the ribbon and the unveiling of the plaque the children led the charge down the new path to the all-weather surface meeting some of the animals on the way. Chris and Georgia insisted on having a ride on two of the farm’s ponies. After a tour of the commercial pig unit the TV couple purchased their supper from the farm shop.
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