Case study: Ruskin Mill Land Trust
How Ruskin Mill Land Trust used our funding to fit out the Wool Barn, creating space for a new textile social enterprise for young people with complex learning disabilities
The project
Ruskin Mill Land Trust had built a large Wool Barn and Learning Centre at Ruskin Mill College in Gloucestershire but needed funding to fit out the space. Situated within the college’s expansive 120-acre campus, the barn aimed to facilitate land-based learning and integrate with farm activities, supporting students with complex needs. The facility was designed to offer indoor spaces for workshops, assembly, and amenities while preserving a connection to the outdoors. Emphasising the enrichment of the textile curriculum, the project aimed to establish a social enterprise focusing on heritage crafts, providing students with real-world manufacturing experience and honouring the region’s wool trade legacy.
The organisation
Ruskin Mill Land Trust (RMLT) works closely with its sister charity Ruskin Mill Trust to set up and run Special Education Needs colleges and schools. For the last 35 years, they have provided high quality specialist day and residential education to young people aged 7–25 who have a range of complex learning disabilities, and who may have experienced trauma and abuse. The Trust has six colleges and four special needs schools, including the original campus at Ruskin Mill College in Gloucestershire.
The funding
The Wool Barn had already been built in Phase 1 of the project, but the building was an empty shell and needed funding for the internal fit-out.
Janine Christley, Director of Fundraising at Ruskin Mill Land Trust, said: “The building had been finished, but we needed funding to build the internal structure, including rooms and mezzanines. It initially felt frustrating that the building was finished in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, causing a delay to the project. However, this unexpected pause actually gave us time to get a sense of the space and refine our designs for the internal space to suit our needs.”
In 2021, we awarded the project £75,000.
Janine said, “When we secured funding from the Wolfson Foundation in 2021, we were able to kickstart Phase 2 of the project. With this grant secured, we effectively leveraged additional funding from other sources, propelling the project forward.”
Grant Fact File
Grant Programme:
Health & Disability, Special needs schools and colleges
Year awarded:
2021
Amount:
£75,000
Project location:
Wool Barn and Learning Centre at Ruskin Mill College in Gloucestershire
Ruskin Mill Land Trust
Key milestones
Janine Christley, Director of Fundraising at Ruskin Mill Land Trust, outlines the key milestones for the Wool Barn project
Initial idea
We’d known for a long time that we needed this space. We were lacking a large space where students and staff could come together. It made sense that the building would be located at the centre of the farm; some of our students find spending a significant amount of time outdoors very challenging, so having an indoor hub within easy reach was important.
Designs and planning permission
Preparations for the project began in 2017. We secured planning permission for the site and obtained designs from an external contractor that we’d used before.
Phase 1 of the project
The outer shell of the building was erected, and this phase was completed during the pandemic. This caused delays but gave us time and space to consider Phase 2 of the project.
Applying to the Wolfson Foundation
We prepared our Stage 1 application and were invited to apply for Stage 2. I worked with the wider team to write this.
Confirmed funding and site work begins
We found out that our application had been successful in June 2021, and we were able to begin work on the internal fit-out of the Wool Barn. Like many organisations, we hit delays with getting contractors on site in the aftermath of Covid-19, but we knew we had up to two years to draw down the funds from Wolfson, and we were able to claim the grant in full by autumn 2022.
Project completion
The project was completed in 2023, and we had an official opening in October 2023 to celebrate with our students, staff and supporters.
- While the Wool Barn has several different spaces, they focussed their proposal on the social enterprise and workshop areas which align most clearly with Wolfson’s focus on supporting independence. We liked that they drew on their farm location and experience to combine heritage and craft-based skills with manufacturing and commerce to meet the increasingly complex needs of their pupils. It felt both ambitious and necessary.
Eleanor Hodges, Senior Programme Officer (Science & Health)
The impact
Janine said: “The Wool Barn has really changed things for us – staff, students, and the whole community. It’s the central hub of our campus now, giving us room to do so much that we couldn’t do before. There’s always something going on around it; the drama department are loving the big space, we gather there for staff training, and our student & staff choir gets together every week. Being so close to the farm, it’s like we’re right in the middle of everything. When the students work with textiles, they can even see the sheep that provided the wool. It really makes them feel connected to where we are and where we come from.”
Ruskin Mill College Choir. Photo credit: Ruskin Mill Land Trust
Looking ahead
Janine said “It’s exciting because we’ve noticed a real difference to our staff and students in the six months the Wool Barn has been fully functional, and we think the space will only continue to grow. There is also an opportunity for the space to be utilised more by the surrounding community. We’re particularly excited for our end-of-year ceremony in the summer, which will be held at the Wool Barn for the first time. It will be a great occasion for parents and students to come together and celebrate all that has been achieved.”
What would your top tips be for a similar organisation applying for funding?
Make sure you have your ducks in a row before starting an application. Have the designs and costs sorted, and planning permission in place, before you embark on your funding journey
After you’ve written your application, re-read it from the point of view of the funder. It’s important to answer their questions directly and be specific with the information you are providing
