A ‘Silent Dairy Farm & Machinery Show’ held at the weekend has exceeded all expectations and already raised over £9,000 for Lisanally Special School in Armagh – and counting!
Tassagh farmer John Faloon, working in conjunction with Diverse Minds Events, organised the special day, with no shortage to help to ensure all went to plan.
John seized upon the idea after he and his wife, Christina, took their six-year-old son Josh, who is non-verbal autistic, to a ‘sensory car show’ at Slieve Donard in Newcastle, Co Down.
John and Christina Faloon and their son, Josh, who attends Lisanally Special School
Having seen how much Josh enjoyed it, they decided to do something similar, but in a farm setting, and could hardly imagine how well it all would go.
Selling tickets – and limiting the numbers to ensure a relaxed setting for visitors – the event was held on his father-in-law Stanley Livingstone’s large dairy farm, between Killylea and Benburb, on Sunday.
When Armagh I last spoke to John in June, he was in the planning stage and preparing to put tickets on sale.
Staff at WS Livingstone and Sons on hand to help.
When we caught up with him again on Wednesday, he was reflecting on how well it all went and looking forward to making a very welcome donation to Lisanally School.
“It was a success from the start,” said John, “apart from the weather, but we had it in place if the weather was bad it would still go ahead, as a lot of it was indoors.
“The families came and it was brilliant. The kids loved the opportunity of getting around all the tractors and getting up and close with the animals; maybe some had never even been that close to the calves and cows, so they were able to reach in and stroke some of the calves. It was great.
John and Christina Faloon with Gail, from Diverse Minds Events.
“We had it sold out. One or two families didn’t show up in the afternoon, but that could have been down to the weather or maybe down to situations at home.
“It was never busy. We had cut the numbers, because we didn’t want it busy, didn’t want it noisy, but it was just great.”
Those who attended enjoyed a memorable day and afforded the chance to do something which they might not otherwise have.
It was a real team effort and everything came together so well.
“The feedback has been brilliant,” added John. “I’ve had numerous families contact me online, just on Facebook, thanking me for their day, saying that their kids loved it and they haven’t seen them smiling as much in a long time.
Tractors and machinery to explore! Pictures by AR Imagery.
“Everybody was positive and everything was what I wanted it to be. Our son, Josh, he gets that opportunity every weekend or every time you go over there, so we knew that if we can put something in place for everyone, that it’s safe, that it was going to go well and it did. It was brilliant.”
Experiences like this can only be laid on with support and there was no shortage of that.
The event was sponsored by WS Livingstone and Sons, as well as John’s employer, Caledon Estate Company. Family also pulled out all the stops, among them John’s wife, Christina, and his sister-in-law, Alexander’s wife, Julie, as well as staff on the farm.
Local food and drinks vendors stepped up to the mark and did their bit too, volunteering their services so that visitors could be kept fed and watered!
So much to see and do!
Joanne Shilliday, from the Hole in the Wall, brought along her juice cart and it was staffed throughout the day, while Linda and Bethany McKenzie, of Major’s Pantry in Moy, provided traybakes and treats. All of this helped and was appreciated immensely.
And John, who wanted to give back to all who had made it possible, was so grateful when Brian, of Cordelia’s Newry Road, offered to provide food to all who helped and supplied machinery, feeding well over 100 that evening after a great day was had by all.
“Everybody reached out,” said John. “All our local contractors, neighbours and friends and families. We actually had to turn down help because so many people were offering, and we were cutting numbers and keeping it low-key and quiet. It all worked out fantastic.
“It was the support of the families who booked the tickets that made it such a success, because that’s what our main priority was, offering that opportunity for kids and adults with a disability to come in and get up and close to machinery. That part worked out a treat.”
While the event was held on Sunday, money is still coming in – a further £300 was donated on Tuesday and another £60 only this morning (Wednesday).
The response, for John and all involved, has been overwhelming and unexpected to say the least.
Just some of the machinery on hand at WS Livingstone and Sons on Sunday. Pictures: AR Imagery
“Just this morning we had passed £9,000,” added a proud John. “At the start we thought if we could raise £1,000 through tickets and raise another couple of thousand through donations, we’d be flying, but we’ve already surpassed that three times over.
“Donations are coming in from all over Northern Ireland and the south. There’s been a couple of donations from friends over in England.
Fantastic displays added to the day for all!
“It’s still open and donations are still coming in. I’ll keep it open for another week or so just in case anybody missed out or forgot, but it has been brilliant, it really has.”
When the final donations are in and counted, the money will be put to good use for the benefit of the pupils of Lisanally School, with John looking forward to discussing with the school how best it might be spent.
“We just never thought we’d be getting this amount of money raised,” he added.
As the dust settled on a superb idea superbly executed, might there then be scope for a similar initiative in 2027? It’s neither a ‘yes’ or ’no’ answer, so ‘maybe’ will suffice…
“That is a discussion we’ll have maybe around Christmas time,” said John, who admits they have not given the idea much thought for now.
“We know how great a success it has been this year. Maybe next year we could look into something different, maybe offering school trips out to the farm? We don’t know. It’s too early yet. We’ll get this one finished before we think about next year.”
Anyone who would still like to make a donation can do so here.
