Friends of Luccombe Hub
REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1188184
Who are we?
Welcome! Friends of Luccombe Hub is a community lead registered charity. They work hard to fundraise and support The Luccombe Hub and Therapeutic farm to benefit our SEN learners and the local community.
Who do we support?
The Luccombe Hub is an alternative provision providing therapeutic education for children and young people with Special Educational Needs. This ranges from Autism Spectrum Disorders, attachment conditions, ADHD, and an array of social, emotional, and mental health difficulties which mean they do not thrive in mainstream education. With the help of the centre’s animals and dedicated staff, The Luccombe Hub promotes positive changes for the young person through a therapeutic and nurturing approach to learning.
How do we support and benefit The Luccombe Hub?
Parents/carers and other ‘friends’’ can have a big impact on helping the Centre deliver extra support to the children and learners that attend.
The Charity, raises money to fund Centre initiatives through activities and events the aim is to enhance the learning experiences of those who attend.
The Committee is there to provide a social support network for parents/carers of our learners and where possible extend the reach of the Centre to children who may not necessarily be fully funded by their Local Authority so that they too can benefit from what The Luccombe Hub can offer.
So far Friends of Luccombe Hub have raised over £10,000 which has helped fund laptops for children, new sensory equipment, and even provided Christmas hampers for children and their families. The Luccombe Hub provides one to one care for our learners which is funded for by the authorities, however, The Hub needs funding in order to provide specialist equipment and much more, we appreciate donations big and small and we would particularly like to express our thanks to:
• Hall and Woodhouse for their community fund donation.
• Susie Huntbach of Meyers estate agents for her ongoing support.
• Howdens – who donated a new kitchen and to Nick young who donated his time & skills to fit it!
• Denise Cox & Jean Paul who donated towards new laptops
• R Lukins Fitness who raised money via their open day event
• Avalon Equine who kindly donated towards the new round pen.
• St James Place for donating towards The Luccombe Hubs sensory room project.
• Tesco Community Fund – for awarding second place for ongoing improvements at the Therapeutic farm.
• Erica Akerman who provided money for Christmas hampers for children and families.
How could you help?
We are very lucky to already have received fantastic support from various people and organisations however, we never say no to more help, whether that is through a one off or regular donation all of which goes directly to supporting the work of The Luccombe Hub.
Through offering trade skills to assist in projects undertaken at the centre. Any parent/carer and Centre supporter can become a member of Friends of Luccombe Hub (subject to committee approval), and everyone has skills to bring!
Regular donations to our Friends of Luccombe Hub Account (Sort: 40-25-10 Number: 34669185)
We would love to hear from you…
Feel free to contact friends@luccombehub.com, we will be happy to help!
Download our form here
Why not get involved and sponsor an animal at Luccombe Hub!
Contact: nita@luccombehub.com
An annual sponsorship of £30 includes…
A mug with your sponsored animal on.
A certificate of sponsorship and photograph.
An electronic termly update about your animal, with photographs.
An invitation to visit your sponsored animal.
An annual sponsorship of £20 includes…
A certificate of sponsorship and photograph.
An electronic termly update about your animal.
An invitation to visit your sponsored animal.
An annual sponsorship of £10 includes…
A certificate of sponsorship and photograph.
An invitation to visit your sponsored animal.
We welcome local schools to get in touch about class group sponsorship and visits as well!
Click on the links to meet and sponsor our furry friends.
Donkeys
Jack
– Hello, my name is Jack and I’m a miniature Donkey. I arrived at Luccombe Hub farm after living with my thoroughbred friend for many years. When he passed away, I had a whole field of grass to myself and I just couldn’t stop eating! When I came to Luccombe, I was very overweight and I wasn’t able to walk properly! Thankfully they have helped me diet over the last couple of years as well as given me the medicine I need, and I am now working towards a healthy weight and I feel so much better! I can now run around with my new friends here without being in pain.
Joe
– Hi, my name is Joe and I’m a miniature Donkey. I am about 7 years old and I came to Luccombe with my brother Albert. I am here because my previous owner had a change in circumstance and could no longer care for me. I am a very loving boy who loves to be groomed and cuddled and coming here has given me the opportunity to become a fantastic therapy donkey. Summer is my favourite season although I do have to have suncream on my nose so that I don’t burn!
Albert
– Hi, my name is Albert and I’m a miniature donkey. I am still very young at about 4 years old and I came to Luccombe with my brother Joe. I am here because my previous owner had a change in circumstance and could no longer care for me. I love to play with my older friend Jack, and we run around the field together all the time. The last time the dentist visited I was a very good boy and he helped me lose some of my baby teeth so I think I count as a grown up now! Although my brother might disagree… I hate the rain but thankfully my carers here keep me wrapped up dry and warm in my rug every time the heavens open, donkeys aren’t waterproof!
Ponies
Magic
– Hello, my name is Magic and I’m a Welsh pony. I am 20 years old and have been at Luccombe Hub for a year now. I came to Luccombe having lived in a field with my friend. Sadly, my friend passed away and I became very wild. I hadn’t had any farrier care, vet treatment or a dentist before I came to Luccombe so my feet were very overgrown and I wasn’t the correct weight. Having long toes can cause ponies like me a lot of health problems and it has taken a long time, but I am finally feeling better now that I get a pedicure every 6 weeks. It took my new carers 2 days to catch me and I was very scared of everything, but now I stand for hours to be groomed and loved by everyone. I don’t understand how to be a horse having been alone for so long, but when I arrived here, I fell in love with the donkeys here and I now believe I am one! I get to live with my donkeys all the time now and I am so happy here.
Mary
– Hello, my name is Mary and I am an Exmoore pony. I am 31 years old and am spending my retirement from being a hunt pony and now live here at Luccombe farm. I am an incredible therapy pony and spend lots of time here being groomed, walked and loved on. The thing I love most in life is food and as soon as I see a bucket I will trot over to it whist neighing. I have a few health problems and always have to keep an eye on my weight so that I don’t get poorly and for this reason I spend a lot of time with my friend Bertie. I don’t often pay too much attention to other animals, but Bertie and me get on great. My favourite snack is carrots and parsnips and apples and pony nuts and… well actually I just like everything!
Bertie
– Hello, my name is Bertie and I am a 6 year old miniature Shetland. I am a rescue here at Luccombe Hub Farm. I came from a place where I was kept in a 6ft by 4ft shed and had teenage boys jumping on me and kicking me when I was only 2 years old. This was not only very scary for me but also very dangerous for my development. Horses and ponies are not fully grown until they are 6 years old and so our bones can be damaged if too much is asked of us too young. I was very scared when I first came here and I still carry trauma with me to this day but I have improved so much over my time here. My friends here have helped me a lot and because of some health problems I go between living with my herd and living with my best friend Mary. She has taught me a lot and shows me that I don’t need to be so scared anymore. I love sunshine and I often have a snooze in it whenever I can.
Wilbur
– Hello, my name is Wilbur and I am a Shetland pony. I am 15 years old and came to Luccombe with my lifelong friend who has since crossed over the rainbow bridge. I first lived in my carers garden 8 years ago, but I am now part of the pony herd here. I came to Luccombe because my previous owner was elderly and wanted to rehome me to make sure I was looked after properly. I am a very stubborn pony who likes to get my way and do what I love, which is of course eating. I enjoy being around people with low energy, otherwise I get too excitable and cause chaos! I used to be ridden by small children who stayed with my carers but I have since retired to a life of luxury.
Elfin
– Hello, my name is Elfin and I am a miniature Shetland pony. I am 15 years old and was donated to Luccombe Hub Farm as a therapy pony as my previous family didn’t have a job for me and they felt I was a wasted talent. I have been a therapy pony my whole life and work hard here to make as many people happy as possible. I love to be groomed and I have the longest mane on the farm! I am also the smallest pony here which means my legs have to work extra hard to keep up, but I manage just fine. I live with the pony herd here and while I sometimes like to keep myself to myself, I do enjoy playing with the younger ponies from time to time. I love people which is a good job as they have to check on me daily. They have to make sure that my cheeks don’t get too full of grass as I have pockets inside my mouth that I can’t reach in, so they have to clear them out for me. This doesn’t cause me any problems and the dentist said that my teeth are looking great on his last visit. I have helped the younger ponies to learn how to be good therapy ponies, I make an excellent teacher.
Mollie
–Hello, my name is Mollie and I am a cob. I am 17 years old and I was born in Ireland where I lived for a long time before coming to England. I came to Luccombe with my two younger friends Rio and Mouse when my previous owners had a change in circumstance and could no longer look after me. I have been a ridden pony before but my carers found that when I came here I had a very sore back and needed a break from riding. I live with the pony herd here and I look after everyone as I am the herd boss. I hope to be ridden again in the future when I am feeling better but for now I am enjoying relaxing with a field full of grass.
Rio
– Hi, my name is Rio and I am a falabella, which is a miniature horse. I am 4 years old and apparently that means I am still a baby. I came to Luccombe with my two older friends Mollie and Mouse. Mouse is my half-sister and she isn’t that much older than me, she is my best friend and I spend lots of time with her. My previous owners had a change in circumstance and could no longer care for me which is why I came here. I am very cheeky and find myself getting into trouble all the time. I am very curious and I like to explore anything new, whether it be a new field or a new water bottle that one of my carers has (I particularly like to steal these!) I love to play and often annoy my herd mates as I am the youngest member. My favourite thing in the world is cuddles and scratches from my carers and anyone else who offers! I am very kind and will groom people back when they give me a scratch in just the right place. I love going for pony walks with my people and I am very happy here at Luccombe.
Mouse
– Hi, my name is Mouse and I’m a falabella, which is a miniature horse. I am 6 years old and I came to Luccombe with my two friends Mollie and Rio when my previous owners had a change in circumstance and could no longer look after me. Rio is my half-brother and best friend, we like to spend lots of time together. I am very sweet and always polite, whether that be during a walk, groom or just cuddles in the field, I am an incredible therapy pony! I love to run around, and I also really enjoy rolling in mud whenever I can. I live with the pony herd at Luccombe Hub Farm and my second favourite friend is Duke. While we may be a bit different in size, we get along great. People always tell me how pretty I am and I am often told I have adorable little ears (they are stripey!). I was a bit overweight when I came to Luccombe and they had to make sure I wasn’t carrying a foal! But since my arrival my new carers have helped me to diet and I am working towards a healthy weight now.
Duke
– Hello, my name is Duke and I am trotter horse. I am 22 and I am a rescue horse from Margaret Green animal rescue. I arrived at the rescue with an illness in one of my eyes that my previous owners had left untreated. The rescue had to remove my eye to relieve me of pain and stop it from affecting my other eye and so now I am half blind. I am very well adapted and have been at Luccombe Hub Farm for a few years now. I am part of the pony herd here and I really enjoy being around other equines, it makes me very happy and allows me to be myself in every possible way. I suffer with arthritis and so my carers make sure I am always wrapped up warm and dry when the weather is bad. I am black all over and so I get lots of flies on me in the summer but thankfully my carers have got me a mask to wear to stop them going in my good eye! My best friend is Mollie and Mouse also likes to hang out with me although I am often worried I will squash her!
Goats
Ava
– Hello, my name is Ava. I am around 6 years old and I live at Luccombe Hub Farm with my friend Bonnie. I came to the farm because my previous owners had a young family and couldn’t look after me. I spend most of my day walking around my field munching on grass but I also like to spend a lot of time sunbathing. I was born Intersex which means I am both male and female and makes me unable to have babies and therefore unable to be milked which means to some people I sadly have no purpose. My body is female on the outside, but I have extra testosterone which helps me grow an amazing beard! My hormones also make me a bit boisterous sometimes so I often headbutt things just for fun! I love cuddles and when I get really good scratches, I try to groom my carers back using my horns because I want to show them I love them too. I hate the rain because goats aren’t waterproof so my carers make sure I always have a nice warm bed of straw to go to in my house.
Bonnie
– Hello, my name is Bonnie. I am 5 years old and I came to Luccombe Hub Farm with my best friend Ava when my previous owners could no longer look after me. I love to spend my day munching on grass, basking in the sun and most of all I like using my climbing frame! My favourite thing to do is get to the highest point on my climbing frame and lie down to watch the sunrise each morning. I love getting cuddles from my carers and anyone else who offers , but my favourite thing in the world is food! I hate the rain because goats aren’t waterproof, so my carers make sure I always have a nice warm bed of straw to go to in my house which I get to share with Ava.
Sheep
Bolli
– Hello, my name is Bolli and I’m a texel mule. I am 2 years old and have lived at Luccombe Hub Farm my whole life having been rescued by my carers as an orphan lamb along with my brother Tatti who has now sadly passed away. I was raised in one of my carers kitchens and grew up with their dogs before I was allowed to go out in my own field. I am very friendly and love to get cuddles… as long as there is food involved! I now live with the goats on the farm, but I sometimes sneak into the donkey field to make sure I don’t miss out on any chance of better grass! I am very fluffy for half of the year but my fleece gets sheared in the springtime to make sure I can regulate my body temperature. I love getting treats and I make sure to shout very loudly so that my carers never forget about me.
Shaun
– Hello, my name is Shaun and I’m a Vallais black nose. I am 3 years old and I came to Luccombe with my brother Barry and friends Heinz and Beans because our previous owner was elderly and felt they could no longer look after us. I have lived with my friends my whole life and thankfully my carers have made sure that we can stay together while we live here. I love to spend my time munching on grass and laying down in the sunshine. I am very fluffy and have to get my wool sheared in the springtime to help me regulate my body temperature during the hotter months. My carers also trim the wool around my face and between my toes on a regular basis so that I can see and am not in discomfort. I love to eat and will take food straight from people’s hands, but I am a little bit more timid than my brother. I have some out of my shell a lot since I first came here and I can’t wait to keep exploring.
Barry
– Hello, my name is Barry and I’m a Vallais black nose. I am 3 years old and I came to Luccombe with my brother Shaun and friends Heinz and Beans because our previous owner was elderly and felt they could no longer look after us. I have lived with my friends my whole life and thankfully my carers have made sure that we can stay together while we live here. I love to sunbathe but my favourite thing in the world is food! I will happily take food straight from people’s hands and I also love to get cuddles and scratches, particularly in places I can’t reach like the top of my head! I am very fluffy and have to get my wool sheared in the springtime to help me regulate my body temperature during the hotter months. My carers also trim the wool around my face and between my toes on a regular basis so that I can see and am not in discomfort.
Pigs
Pandora
– Hello, my name is Pandora and I am around 10 years old. I have lived at Luccombe Hub farm for a few years now and I moved here when my last farm shut down. My first home was with someone who was told I was a micro pig! When I got too big I had to leave as they couldn’t care for me and I have been at farms ever since. I share my field with my two younger friends Chanel and Tiffany who I was a mother figure to when they first arrived here as piglets. I have made sure to teach them to best places to scratch against and the perfect way to roll around in mud when we need suncream in the summer! My carers have to give me extra suncream in the summer to make sure I don’t burn due to my fair skin. I love to make my own bed and I spend hours making it just right when my carers give me new straw which they let me chop up and arrange all by myself.
Chanel
– Hi, my name is Chanel and I am a Kune Kune. I am 2 years old and I have lived at Luccombe Hub Farm all my life after they rescued me and my sister Tiffany as piglets. I share my field with Tiffany and our friend Pandora who looked after us when we were small. I love food and get given my breakfast and dinner in a puzzle ball to help engage my mind as us pigs are very smart and get bored easily (we have the mental age of a 3 to 5 year old!) I am also given fruit and veg everyday to make sure I get all the vitamins I need. I love getting cuddles from my carers and anyone else who offers, and I particularly love belly scratches. When you scratch me just right, I will lay down and roll over like a dog so that you can reach my whole belly. I like to lie down with my carers in the field and will also happily sit on their laps when given the chance.
Tiffany
– Hi, my name is Tiffany and I am a Kune Kune. I am 2 years old and I have lived at Luccombe Hub Farm my whole life after they rescued me and my sister Chanel as piglets. I share my field with Chanel and Pandora who looked after us when we were small. I get given my breakfast and dinner in a puzzle ball to help engage my mind as us pigs are very smart and get bored easily (we have the mental age of a 3 to 5 year old!) I am also given fruit and veg everyday to make sure I get all the vitamins I need. I make sure to shout very loudly every morning and afternoon to remind my carers that it is time for food. I like getting cuddles and scratches from my carers, especially when I start to lose my winter coat when the warmer months come around. My favourite vegetable is swede and I will always search for this first when dinner time finally rolls round.
Speckles
– Hello, my name is Speckles and I’m a Kune Kune. I am around 8 years old and I came to Luccombe Hub Farm not too long ago when my previous farm closed down. I came here with my two field mates Smokey and Babe and thankfully our carers have made sure that we get to stay together now that we are here. I was very overweight when I first came as I used to be on a high carb diet of sow nuts (meant for pregnant pigs) and bread! My carers have helped me to diet by giving me the food I need to get healthy and I am now working towards a healthy weight. I get to forage for the fruit and veg they give us as they spread it out over our whole field. This is very important for us pigs as we are very intelligent animals and can get bored very easily (we have the mental age of a 3 to 5 year old!) My favourite vegetable is cucumber and I always try and beat my friends to find it when dinner time comes.
Smokey
– Hello, my name is Smokey and I’m a Kune Kune. I am around 8 years old and I came to Luccombe Hub Farm not too long ago when my previous farm closed down. I came here with my two field mates Speckles and Babe and thankfully our carers have made sure that we get to stay together now that we are here. I was very overweight when I first came as I used to be on a high carb diet of sow nuts (meant for pregnant pigs) and bread! My carers have helped me to diet by giving me the food I need to get healthy and I am now working towards a healthy weight. It is very important for us pigs to have mental stimulation as we are very intelligent animals and can get bored very easily (we have the mental age of a 3 to 5 year old!) I am the boss of our little group and I make sure that everyone is protected and safe. This also means I get to steal their leftovers whenever I get the chance. My favourite vegetable is carrots and I love it when our carers give us slices to find in our dinner.
Alpacas
Tom Boy
– Hi, my name is Tom Boy and I am 19 years old. I came to Luccombe Hub Farm after my life as a stud alpaca came to an end and I was saved from being put to sleep. I was too boisterous for the older alpacas here and so I was put in the younger bunch who soon helped me to settle into my new life of luxury and relaxation. My friends Brandy, Bert and Ernie would go out on walks as they are halter trained but as I would get jealous, I decided to join them without needing any training! I like to talk a lot because I am half deaf and blind and so I like to make sure I know where all my friends are and this is how I communicate. Although I am older now, I still like to run around and I am one of the bravest in our herd!
Brandy
– Hello, my name is Bert and I am 4 years old. I came to Luccombe Hub Farm where I learned how to go for alpaca walks after being halter trained. I am the most timid of my herd unlike my brother Ernie who is very brave. Ernie and I are identical in appearance and so we have to have different haircuts so that our carers can tell us apart! I like to spend most of my time with either Ernie or Brandy as they help me to feel confident in my surroundings and help me to enjoy exploring when we go out on walks. In the springtime, we get our wool sheared to make sure that we can regulate our body temperature. Our wool is then taken and spun into yarn so that we can help people learn how to knit!
Bert
– Hello, my name is Bert and I am 4 years old. I came to Luccombe Hub Farm where I learned how to go for alpaca walks after being halter trained. I am the most timid of my herd unlike my brother Ernie who is very brave. Ernie and I are identical in appearance and so we have to have different haircuts so that our carers can tell us apart! I like to spend most of my time with either Ernie or Brandy as they help me to feel confident in my surroundings and help me to enjoy exploring when we go out on walks. In the springtime, we get our wool sheared to make sure that we can regulate our body temperature. Our wool is then taken and spun into yarn so that we can help people learn how to knit!
Ernie
– Hello, my name is Ernie and I am 4 years old. I came to Luccombe Hub Farm where I learned how to go for alpaca walks after being halter trained. I am one of the bravest in my herd and I love to explore new things, whether it be when I am going out for walks or meeting new people. Me and my brother Bert are identical in appearance and so we have to have different haircuts so that our carers can tell us apart! I enjoy spending my time with Bert and also Tom Boy who has a similar personality to myself. In the springtime, we get our wool sheared to make sure that we can regulate our body temperature. Our wool is then taken and spun into yarn so that we can help people learn how to knit! My favourite season is Summer when I can lie down in the pool that our carers put out for us.
Heinz
– Hello, my name is Heinz and I am 14 years old. I came to Luccombe Hub Farm with my brother Beans and our friends Shaun and Barry because our elderly owner felt they could no longer look after us. We have all been friends since the sheep were lambs so we like to stay together, fortunately our carers here make sure that we are all in the same field together. In the springtime, we get our wool sheared to make sure that we can regulate our body temperature. Our wool is then taken and spun into yarn so that we can help people learn how to knit! I really enjoy spending my time in the sunshine and I don’t like the rain! Thankfully, we have a nice big shelter to hide from the bad weather in. People often comment that I look a bit different from the other alpacas and that’s because I have a deviated septum, but it doesn’t cause me any trouble and I can still smell just as well as my friends
Beans
– Hello, my name is Beans and I am 14 years old. I came to Luccombe Hub Farm with my brother Heinz and our friends Shaun and Barry because our elderly owner felt they could no longer look after us. We have all been friends since the sheep were lambs so we like to stay together, fortunately our carers here make sure that we are all in the same field together. My favourite season in Summer because I love to enjoy the sunshine. In the springtime, we get our wool sheared to make sure that we can regulate our body temperature. Our wool is then taken and spun into yarn so that we can help people learn how to knit! I have suffered quite badly from mites (a small bug that make me very itchy) but thankfully my carers have helped me to feel better. I am very protective of my friends and often make a lot of noise to scare away any possible danger.
Guinea pigs
Twilight, Luna, Squiggly, Snowflake, Honeycomb and Ginny.
We are a mixture of ages but we all come from the same home who no longer had space to look after us. Four of us have very long hair that has to be trimmed regularly to make sure it doesn’t get too long to where we stand on it or it gets matted. We all have to have our nails clipped as well to make sure that we aren’t in any discomfort which means we get regular pedicures. We have a very big house here with lots of places to hide as we can be quite shy. We love grass more than anything in the world (even more than carrots!) and in the Summer we get to go outside and spend all day in the sunshine! The carers here always make sure we have lots of hay to keep our beds warm and our bellies full which gives us all the energy we need to run around and play with each other.
