Nurturing futures through Small Animal Care
Linkage Community Trust runs one of the longest established, specialised, independent, further education college in the country for young people with learning disabilities and autism.
Linkage College has been delivering the popular Practical Small Animal Care Skills course at our Weelsby Campus for nearly six years.
Currently 16% of our students access this course as a vocational qualification and in our recent Ofsted report, inspectors noted that ‘learners actively participate in sessions that enable them to gain practical experience in animal welfare’. Small Animal Care is one of the seven vocational subjects offered at Linkage College which provide students with the opportunity to gain industry-specific skills and knowledge, as well as transferable work skills, in realistic working environments.
“We are excited about developing a new facility for Small Animal Care which will significantly expand our offer to the local community, further develop the range of services and opportunities available for the people we support and provide a state-of-the-art showcase facility for everyone to enjoy.”
– Martin Shelton, Director of Lifelong Learning and Employability
What is Small Animal Care?
Small Animal Care is all about giving love, care and attention to our little fury, scaly and feathery friends. At our Linkage College Weelsby Campus in Grimsby, we teach our students the practical skills to be able to look after a variety small animals. Including all the information they need to care for them, from cuddly rabbits to curious geckos and even our friendly chickens.
Through this interactive learning environment our students explore new initiatives and even uncover hidden talents and interests. The knowledge and skills they gain through Small Animal Care support them as they go into adulthood and are transferable into further education and employment opportunities.
We’re excited to expand our small animal family to include even more cool critters in a new, state of the art facility.
Building a better home for our animals
Our former facility is too small and outdated for our current needs and for our future plans. This building is also part of our wider project to build an inclusive and sustainable future for Weelsby Hall.
We’re planning to build a brand new, modern Small Animal Care Centre next to the Mackenzie building – our main college facility – at our Weelsby campus. This new space will have everything needed to provide a first rate learning experience for our students and to give our animals the best care possible.
Bringing the community together
This new facility will not only benefit our Linkage College students but also be a resource for the community. We’re hoping to offer a range of services and programs to engage and support animal lovers of all ages.
We’ve seen the advantages of working with animals first hand, especially for those with learning disabilities and autism. They can provide an emotional solace as these animals provide unconditional love and companionship, alleviating feelings of loneliness and isolation.
Interacting with animals fosters improved communication skills, providing a safe space for expression without fear of judgement. This focus on wellbeing will be a central theme in a number of the sessions we’re looking to provide.
How you can help
There are a few ways you can support our Small Animal Care Project
Have your say
We want to hear from you. We’re looking for feedback from students and their families to learn more about what you’d find beneficial from a Small Animal Care Centre.
To help make our new centre as beneficial and engaging as possible, we would love to hear from you. By completing this survey and sharing your needs and interests, your feedback will help create a welcoming and engaging educational experience for everyone. A space where we can learn, grow, and develop a love for animals.
We can’t wait to invite students, along with their families, to visit and interact with the animals once the centre is open.
Thank you for your time and feedback.
Have your say on our Small Animal Care ProjectDonate
We’re raising funds to support our Small Animal Care project.
With your generous donations we can enhance learning experience for our students, provide better care for our furry friends and open the doors to our community.
Supported by
The Wolfson Foundation
The Wolfson Foundation is an independent charity with a focus on research and education. Its aim is to support civil society by investing in excellent projects in science, health, heritage, humanities and the arts.
The UK Government
The Small Animal Care Project has been funded by UK Government, by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) through North East Lincolnshire County Council.
The funding will support the building of the new Small Animal Care Centre, at our Weelsby Site, in Grimsby.
