Jonny and Paula Hanson have a vision for an inter-denominational Christian creation care charity which employs a model of relational theology, inspiring change within God’s wonderful world by innovating, educating and advocating.
In their initiative, which is initially based in Northern Ireland (but which they hope will soon be all-Ireland), they would like to focus on the inter-connected themes of ecology, agro-ecology, animal welfare and counter-consumerism, practically expressed through their first proposed project: a community farm.
The organisation will employ a model of relational theology and aim to inspire change within this individual-society-environment-God matrix by innovating, educating and advocating. As a registered charity and limited company, and with a subsidiary trading company to conduct its entrepreneurial activities, the enterprise will generate funds in a variety of ways to conduct its work.
Central to all its activities – which will focus on 1) sustainable food and farming (agroecology); and 2) wild nature (ecology) – will be the inter-connected themes of communication, co-operation and collaboration.
The first proposed project for the organisation is a community farm. This initiative will pioneer the integration of a) care (social) farming; b) community-supported agriculture; and c) conservation farming in Northern Ireland. By doing so it will involve a wide range of stakeholders in actively caring for creation and explicitly linking the environment to sustainable food and farming.
The second proposed project is the setting up of a sustainable guest-house and retreat venue, preferably close to or on the community farm. Ideally involving a period farmhouse or similar dwelling, employing a social enterprise model, and with strong cultural, social and environmental characteristics, the guest-house will be the perfect setting to run Christian environmental courses, retreats and holidays, while also generating funds for its parent charity.
Finally, the creation of an inspiring countryside centre alongside or near the guest-house and community farm is the third project proposed here. Integrating a traditional breeds farm park, cafe-restaurant, farm shop, event and meeting spaces, camp site, and country skills and cookery school, this venue will reach 50,000 – 100,000 visitors per year with the Christian environmental ethos of its parent charity.
In doing so, it will allow the organisation to inspire change across Northern Ireland and beyond.
Jonny and Paula would love to hear from anyone interested in getting involved. To find out more, or to get in touch with them, see http://peopleplanetprophet.com/inspiring-change/