The Camphill Foundation UK & Ireland is proud to support Corbenic Camphill Community’s Day Service & Community Barn Project. With a grant of £10,000, funds are contributing to the creation of a much-needed multi-use space that will enhance the lives of Corbenic residents and day participants, providing opportunities for meaningful activity, social inclusion, and community celebration.
Corbenic meets the Residential and Day support needs of adults with complex and severe social, emotional, intellectual, and learning disabilities in an integrated community near Dunkeld, Scotland. Offering meaningful working opportunities, individuals contribute to the life of the community and in doing so a sense of integrity, dignity, equality and worth is fostered in each.
An integral part of community life is regularly celebrating a range of multi-cultural festivals where they meet as a whole community. However, the 50-person capacity of their current biggest hall in Drumour Lodge is limiting and Corbenic’s highly valued Day Service is over-subscribed. Presently it offers 6 places per day, but with their project now off the ground, more adults requiring day services will benefit in the months to come.
Situated within the estate’s workshop area, the new barn-style building will replace a dilapidated structure that is no longer fit for use. Designed as a single-floor, multi-use space, the barn will serve multiple functions:
- Day Service Expansion: The number of available places will double to 12 per day, allowing up to 25 individuals to benefit weekly, with a particular focus on young adults transitioning from school.
- Workshop Relocation: The Estate Workshop will move to the barn and an adjacent building, providing new opportunities for developing skills such as green woodworking and charcoal-making, with products sold in Corbenic’s Dunkeld community shop.
- Community & Social Space: The barn will host workshops, social activities, and events for residents, staff, and volunteers, ensuring a central hub for community engagement.
Jon Plunkett, Corbenic’s Community Director, shares his delight at reaching this major milestone:
“Corbenic is delighted to announce that we have met our fundraising target for the Day Service & Community Barn project. Comprising grants from charitable trusts, corporate bodies, statutory funds, and £10,000 from the Camphill Foundation UK & Ireland, personal donations, sponsored events, and contactless donations made in our Dunkeld Shop & Café, every penny has counted. We are indebted to everyone for their generous support. We have completed the final building design details, and after a tendering process we are pleased to identify a preferred contractor. After a value engineering workshop with them to refine and agree the scope of the work, we are delighted that breaking ground is scheduled to take place by June 2025, with construction expected to take around 9 months.
Our new Estate Workshop is the first area of Corbenic to benefit from materials salvaged during the careful deconstruction of the previous old barn. A canopy added to the rear of the Estate Workshop, making outdoor work possible in bad weather, was previously part of the old barn’s roof. There are more recycled materials that will find their way into other Corbenic projects in due course.
After 3 years of consulting, planning and fundraising, we are excitedly looking forward to seeing spades in the ground and the Community Barn begin to take shape!”
The Camphill Foundation UK & Ireland is delighted to support this meaningful initiative and looks forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on individuals and the wider community.
Until building work begins, Corbenic’s Day Service & Community Barn JustGiving Campaign will remain open. Although their target has been met, any further donations received will still make a difference as they will reduce what Corbenic has already budgeted towards the project, freeing that money up for other uses around the Community. www.justgiving.com/campaign/corbenic-barn
