Who We Are
Our Story
In 2004 a group of friends established the charity and raised funds to purchase the old farm to develop it as a community skills hub and cultural centre. People came from far and wide to help transform the land, cultivate gardens and help build the new facilities. Where formerly there was only one, exposed, windswept 23 acre field: we have a biodiverse patchwork of gardens and pastures with thousands of young trees, public access footpaths and a range of workshops and visitor resources.
Over 600 people have volunteered here, we've hosted craft apprentiships, accredited courses and business enterprise workshops. We provide a year round, rich cultural programme of events and activities. Locally we've initiated a state of the art community kitchen to help seed new local produce enterprises and supported former apprentices to set up their own craft businesses within their communities.
From small beginings we have grown to become one of the most celebrated grass-roots environmental and cultural initiatives in Wales with an international support base of former interns and volunteers extending to over 30 different countries.
Our Vision
CLAS - A Centre for Living Arts and Science
At the heart of our vision is to create an experiential campus based on a holistic learning approach, where young people can join a six month or one year Initiative Programme. This will involve a balance of practical skills learning and dedicated study time. Small business enterprise based at the centre can provide an opprtunity for students to work alongside experienced practitioners and craftspeople, gaining specialist skills and a sound understanding of the varied aspects of running a small business enterprise.
Students will be resident at Felin and will take an active part in the day to day running of the centre, from the cultivation of organic food in the gardens through to catering for visitors in the cafe, stewarding events and office administration work. This will provide a broad experience of how an enterprise is manged and run, alongside apprentiship training in specific craft or land based skills.
Many young people feel the need to combine what they have learned in school or university with some grounded practical experience in order to consolidate their learning and to enhance their opportunities to gain further employment. Many of us come through education with some of the know but look for further experience to gain the how. The practical, enterprise and life skills gained through working as an apprentice in a real life business context is worth its weight in gold.
As a Green Enterprise Centre: the business initiatives based at the new eco-facilities will be able to take advantage of combined resources such as shared marketing, studio, public gallery, shop and exhibition spaces.
The Llyn Peninsula's unique environment and Felin's holistic approach has an international appeal; our internship and volunteering opportunities over the past decade have attracted as many young people from Europe as from across the UK.
