Suffolk New College farm shop opens second-hand bookshop
Suffolk New College's farm shop has launched a second-hand bookshop with its Inclusive Learners as the shop celebrates its third anniversary, and it has expanded its opening hours, now opening five days a week during term time.
Why it matters: The new bookshop gives the college's Inclusive Learners the chance to develop workplace skills and gain practical experience by helping to run the farm shop, while adding second-hand books to its shelves for the local community.
The details: The farm shop is based at the college's Suffolk Rural campus in Otley and opened in November 2023. It showcases products grown, produced and created by staff and students across the college's Otley and Ipswich campuses.
The shop is now open Monday to Friday, 11:00-16:00, during college term time. Inside you can find sweets, locally produced honey, fresh eggs, meat from the college farm, pottery, greeting cards, alpaca fibre and plants.
Farm shop assistant Cheryl Henry said the biggest seller at the moment was the local honey, which is produced on site.
What they're saying: Sarah Brunning, an Inclusive Learning lecturer at the college, said: "The learners will be involved in all aspects of running the farm shop, including operating the till, taking payments, managing stock, cleaning, organising and creating displays.
"They are getting a huge amount out of the experience, and it is fantastic to see them developing their confidence and skills in a real working environment."
Thomas Green, horticulture centre manager and manager of the farm shop, said: "We took a short break from trading to rethink what we wanted the Farm Shop to become, and the relaunch has been really positive. The addition of the bookshop is another exciting step forward, and we are continuing to develop the range of products we have available.
"The Farm Shop is all about showcasing the fantastic work and abilities of our students, while supporting local produce and giving people the opportunity to buy something a little different."
Henry added: "I've only been working at the Farm Shop for a few weeks, but it has been going really well, and it is lovely to see it developing."
The bottom line: Three years after opening, the college's farm shop is adding books to its shelves and opening for longer, giving students hands-on work experience and the local community another reason to visit.
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