An Ipswich woman is on a mission to open a therapeutic farm to give people the opportunity she “never really got to have”.
Selina Green, 25, studied agriculture at college and is a qualified animal carer. She is now raising money to set up a care farm for people with disabilities and mental health problems.
Miss Green said she had dreamt of her own farm since she was young.
She said: “I've been bullied all my life. I've never had friends, and animals have always been my escape from everything.
“I've worked with so many animals in my life – they're very therapeutic, they don't judge, they just want love.
“There are not enough places for people with mental health problems and disabilities, so I decided to open one.”
Miss Green, who herself has autism, OCD and anxiety, says that people can benefit from being around animals.
She said: “I want to give people with mental health problems a bit of confidence and create a place they can call their second home.”
She hopes the farm could be home to sheep, pigs, chickens, goats, horses and cows, as well as growing her own fruit, vegetable and crops.
But so far, the journey to making her dream come true has not been easy.
She also struggles with a life-limiting condition that affects her muscles and tissues, and said: “Everyone said I'm not going to achieve anything, but they just gave me more ammunition to go for my dreams and fight for what I want.
“I wanted an education. I wanted to be with animals and learn more about them.
“I will fight for other people and I will fight for myself. I just want to give other people the opportunity that I never really got to have.”
Miss Green counts her mum and John Attridge, a college tutor, as among her biggest supporters.
In order to build the farm, she is asking for help through online fundraising or donations.
“If people can donate anything, a second-hand caravan, fencing or money, I would be very grateful,” she said.
She said: “I know that getting my own farm is a process. I'm not going to give up even if I am 50 and still looking for my dreams.
“I want people to just understand that they may have disabilities, but they should focus on their abilities.”
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