We are Beccie Thornhill and Lesley Bell, co-founders and Executive Directors at The Paddock Broom of Moy CIC. The Paddock Broom of Moy CIC was our joint brainchild. Working as Principal Teachers within Moray Autism Service, we identified a group of young people we were struggling to reach and engage. We talked a lot about how good it would be to have a safe space for these learners — somewhere to build resilience and coping strategies, so they could then go on to access their learning and wider communities.
During Covid lockdown we began bringing some vulnerable young people on Health and Wellbeing walks to Beccie's back garden, to visit the animals and enjoy the space available at the time. We saw a noticeable impact on the learners' abilities — a non-verbal pupil talked, and other learners who had previously been unable to leave the house began to look forward to their weekly visits. We re-evaluated our lives, saw an opportunity to build our dream, and hoped to have a real, lasting social impact on these learners and their families. And so, The Paddock Broom of Moy CIC was formed.
We were able to build a classroom and set up the business with help from family, friends, and Firstport Start It funding.
Our aim is to offer young neurodivergent learners a safe space where they can begin to build resilience, develop coping strategies, and access a Health and Wellbeing curriculum through animal husbandry, horticulture, and a range of craft activities — built around our learners' own interests.