IN FOCUS...
The human connection Planted in 1979, Elham Valley Vineyard is part of the social enterprises run by the Fifth Trust, a charity that is supporting 160 adult students with learning disabilities, with students ranging in age from 17 to 72. Elham Valley Vineyard is not large nor is it particularly visible from the road as you drive through Barham near Canterbury and yet it is a vineyard with one of the biggest hearts you will find anywhere in the world. To borrow a line from one of my favourite films, it is difficult to write about this vineyard without running out of adjectives. Peter Stratton arrived at The Fifth Trust a little under three years ago having left his previous role in the travel industry due to Covid-19. As social enterprise manager for
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Tim Ferris and Peter Stratton
the charity, Peter ensures that any money that is raised through the social enterprises, including the vineyard, the garden centre and café as well as the garden services business and a woodshack is returned to the charity so that it further enriches the lives of the students – the woodshack makes beautiful bespoke furniture as well as small things like the post markers for the vineyard. Having arrived at The Fifth Trust, Peter was faced with a vineyard that did not have a manager and had been neglected due to a combination of factors including Covid-19,
and Peter has since become a true leader within the vineyard team. It is important to remember that the main focus for the 55 strong team of teachers, instructors, supervisors and carers at The Fifth Trust is the students. Whilst the wines are available through the café and the garden centre, the day to day running of the site is more complex than that of a truly commercial vineyard. “Our staff are looking after students all day every day, so their first thought is not how to look after the vineyard,” commented Peter.
