Atlantic Freight Ltd - what a lovely bunch of people!

4.12.2024

We're so grateful to the team at Atlantic Freight Ltd in Bacup for their generosity in giving us a shipping container.

We’ve been in need of a secure, weatherproof storage unit for a long time now. But they’re increasingly hard to come by and, when you do find one, they cost a small fortune (all those garden offices and edgy restaurants!); we just couldn’t justify the expense. But, with the first snow of winter lying in the fields, it was time to bite the bullet.

So we put out a call to our friends at Gripple. They didn’t have anything for us, but knew someone who might. Within a couple of days Lindsey Prescott, Director of Atlantic Freight Ltd in Bacup, had offered us exactly what we needed – a 20ft shipping container. We were stunned when she told us we could have it for nothing, and that they would also pick up the cost of delivering it to the Farm.

That’s why there was a small group of us stood out in the cold last week, staring expectantly down the main route to the farm. Lindsay and her colleague Dave Griffiths had made the journey from Bacup to meet up in our café with Kirstie and Rachel from Gripple, and Farmer Ash and CEO Ben from the Trust. After a warming cuppa, and a long chat about all-things alternative provision and regenerative farming, it was time to head out into the elements to watch the container being unloaded. It was a nerve-wracking wait – the site we’d chosen was really, really tight– but the operator did a fantastic job, literally inch-perfect. The container is now safely in position at the top of the Farm. During winter it will house animal feeds for the livestock that will spend the cold months in the barns. Then, after a thorough scrub, we will use it to store our events kit during the busy spring and summer seasons.

Lindsey said “ At Atlantic Freight Ltd, we are truly inspired by the incredible work Whirlow Hall Farm do to support disadvantage children and young people facing challenging circumstances. Witnessing the passion, dedication, and impact of their team was a powerful experience that touched our hearts. We are proud to make a contribution to such a meaningful cause and to play a small part in helping create a safe, functional space for their life-changing programs. The work they do doesn’t just change lives—it builds futures. We look forward to continuing this wonderful partnership.”

So we want to say an enormous thank you to our old friends at Gripple, and our new friends from Atlantic Freight Ltd - your generosity will make a huge difference at the Farm. As Ash said after you’d left last week ‘ What a lovely bunch of people’.