Animal therapy farm in 'desperate' new home search

Ducks, sheep, goats and alpacas are among the animals at Dave & Ewe in Wiltshire

Bosses at an animal therapy service say they are facing closure unless a new home can be found.

Dave & Ewe is based at a rented site with fields and farm buildings near Calne, Wiltshire, and is home to ducks, sheep, goats and alpacas.

Farm owner Dave Buscombe has made a "desperate" appeal to find a new home for his flock of animals before September 2026 after he was served notice by the site's landowner.

Carter and Jonas LLP, which served notice on Dave & Ewe on behalf of the landowner, has been contacted for comment.

Mr Buscombe said: "I'm desperately looking because if we can't get somewhere, we're done. It's so important to carry this work on.

"I'm appealing to someone with a bit of land and a barn to help us."

Primary and secondary school children from across north Wiltshire and Swindon regularly visit Dave & Ewe to spend time with farm animals and help maintain the stables.

Mr Buscombe added: "My approach is through the animals. If we're talking about an animal, the child is taking it all in.

"We're relaxing them and they're curing their own problems. They're learning life skills and learning to cope with life."

The charity were finalists in the 2023 BBC Wiltshire Make a Difference Awards.

Dave Buscombe said the charity needs to find a new home by next September

Sarah Hart's two children are regular visitors to Dave & Ewe and always enjoy their trips.

"They have fun and love it," she said.

"The animals have got such a caring nature with them. It teaches them how to cope with their emotions and they meet other children, so it's the social side of it as well".

Mrs Hart said the potential closure of the service would be detrimental to dozens of children's wellbeing.

"Dave and his team do great work with many children from all walks of life. He turns their lives around.

"If this place folds there's going to be a massive hole in our education system."