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A group of Tylers and Bricklayers were delighted to accept an invitation to visit Elham Valley Vineyard, part of The Fifth Trust, a charity that supports adults with learning difficulties and is currently benefitting from grants from the Tylers and Bricklayers Charitable Trust.  As well as operating a vineyard the Fifth Trust runs a successful garden centre, café and a broad range of creative and academic activities.

After a welcome by General Manager, Nikki Marley, we spent an enjoyable morning visiting the garden centre and the woodwork centre where it is fair to say most of us coveted the garden benches made by the students.  We also learned that the grapes should be picked in a few weeks and made into sparkling white and rose wines, and a still rose at the local Simpsons Winery.
After a most convivial and delicious lunch, made by the students, a small party visited the Greenbanks Centre, where funds from the Ts &Bs will help with major re-building over the coming years.

Simpsons Winery was the final stop on the visit where we saw the wine producing process and sampled some of the excellent fine white wine produced by this very new winery.
It is fair to say that everyone on the visit commented what a happy place Elham is and how much both the staff and students enjoyed their time at this remarkable centre.