Island Community Haven CIC

31/08/2026

A tiny unexpected visitor! 🐦💚

A few weeks ago, this young Eurasian wren somehow found its way into our café. Understandably, it was frightened and exhausted, and after a little while it collapsed.

The team carefully gave it a quiet, safe space to recover, along with some food and water. Thankfully, after a well-earned rest, this little visitor gathered its strength and flew off again. 🌿✨

Did you know? Despite being one of the UK’s smallest birds, wrens have an incredibly powerful song for their size — their call can be heard from a surprising distance!

A lovely reminder that kindness to even the smallest creature can make a real difference. 💚

27/08/2026

This sunflower can't bee'lieve the rain has finally arrived.... 😎🌻🌧️

After a long dry spell, our allotment was more than ready for a proper drink. While grey skies may spoil our summer plans, rainwater is a real lifeline for plants — soaking into the soil, replenishing moisture around the roots and helping crops continue to grow.

This sunflower has been working hard through the heat, feeding plenty of hungry bees along the way. 🐝💛

Fun fact: A sunflower head is made up of hundreds, sometimes thousands, of tiny individual flowers. Each one can develop into a seed!

So, although we may be reaching for our coats, the allotment — and this very stylish sunflower — is grateful for the rain. 🌿💦

11/08/2026

🐷 A Huge Thank You to Sheila & Ray! 💚

A very special thank you to Sheila and Ray Parry for their wonderful donation to The Island Community Haven CIC.

Each year, they raise money for local charities and good causes by giving unwanted items a new lease of life through online sales, car boot sales and stalls. We are so grateful that they chose to support us this year.

Their generosity will help us welcome new pigs to the farm, creating more opportunities for our children and young people to learn about animal care, responsibility and life on the smallholding. 🐷

Thank you, Sheila and Ray, for helping us continue to make The Island Project such a special place.

We cannot wait to introduce our new arrivals! 🐷🐷

17/07/2026

🐠 Swordtail Fish Looking for New Homes 🐠

We have both male and female Swordtail fish available for rehoming to responsible, caring homes.

Swordtails are active, peaceful tropical fish that thrive in a well-maintained aquarium. Before enquiring, please make sure you can provide:

✅ A fully cycled tropical aquarium (minimum 60 litres recommended for a small group)
✅ A water temperature of around 22–28°C
✅ Good filtration and regular water maintenance
✅ Plenty of swimming space, with plants or decorations for cover
✅ Compatible, peaceful tank mates if housed in a community aquarium

⚠️ Important care information:

Male swordtails cannot be kept in groups larger than three, as they may become aggressive and fight with each other.

If you are considering taking both males and females, please be aware they are very prolific breeders and can reproduce quickly under the right conditions.

Our priority is finding the right homes, so proof of your aquarium setup will be required before any fish are rehomed. This may include photos of the tank and equipment to ensure they will be going to a suitable environment.

If you can offer these beautiful fish a safe and healthy home, please send us a message with details of your setup.

🐠 Good homes are our priority. Thank you for understanding! 💙

16/07/2026

🐷 A Sad Goodbye to Mr Pig ❤️

Today we said goodbye to one of our longest-standing members of The Island Project family, Mr Pig, who peacefully passed away in his sleep.

Mr Pig was almost 10 years old and joined us as a very young pig. Over the years, he enjoyed the very best life—wandering freely around the farm, exploring every corner and, of course, letting everyone know he was around with his famous squeals!

If you knew Mr Pig, you'll know he had a funny habit of acting like the biggest wimp whenever someone walked towards him... only to realise a few seconds later that he absolutely loved the fuss and attention. ❤️

He has been a huge part of life at The Island Project and has helped create countless memories for the hundreds of young people and volunteers who have cared for him over the years.

Thank you to everyone—past and present—who showed Mr Pig so much love, kindness and care throughout his life. He'll be greatly missed by us all 🌈🐷💚

15/07/2026

🐥 Our newest arrivals! 🦆

Last Thursday and Friday were very exciting here at the farm as 11 Indian Runner ducklings hatched in our incubator! 🥚✨

After weeks of carefully incubating the eggs, it was amazing to watch each little duckling make its way into the world. 🐣 They’re now settling in well, growing stronger every day, and keeping us entertained with their curious personalities. 💛

Did you know? 🤔 Indian Runner ducks are famous for their tall, upright posture and, unlike most ducks, they prefer to run rather than waddle, making them one of the most distinctive duck breeds in the world! 🦆🏃

If you didn’t catch the news last week, here’s a little introduction to our newest feathered friends. 🪶 We’ll be sharing plenty of updates as they grow, so keep an eye on our page to follow their journey! 👀📸

We can’t wait to watch them grow into beautiful Indian Runner ducks. 🥰🦆💚

09/07/2026

13/05/2026

🐥✨ Meet Our New Arrivals! ✨🐥

We’re excited to introduce the newest members of the farm family — 5 Barred Plymouth Rock chicks! 🖤🤍

These fluffy little ones are almost 2 weeks old and are already growing fast, becoming more confident and curious every day. The young people have loved helping care for them and watching their personalities begin to shine through. 🌿💚

Did you know? 👀
🐔 Barred Plymouth Rocks are known for their beautiful black-and-white striped feathers
🥚 They grow into excellent egg layers, producing around 200–250 eggs a year
🧠 They’re famous for being calm, friendly, and easy to handle — making them brilliant birds for farms and families
❄️ Their thick feathers also make them very hardy in colder weather

For now, they’re staying warm, cosy, and safe while they continue to grow stronger each day. We can’t wait to watch them become part of the flock! 🐣✨

06/05/2026

💚 A Sad Farewell to Charlie

It is with great sadness that we share the news that Charlie, our much-loved donkey, has sadly passed away.

Charlie was a huge part of life at the farm and brought comfort, calmness and joy to so many people over the years. Whether it was a quiet moment in the field, feeding time, or simply seeing his friendly face each week, Charlie meant a great deal to our community.

We know many of our young people, families, volunteers and supporters will feel this loss deeply. Animals have a special way of connecting with people, and Charlie was no exception.

We remember the happy memories and moments Charlie gave us all 🫏