AlfPaca Boutique opens its doors in Chichester!

Our Alpaca Boutique opens its doors!

The AlfPaca Boutique is now open for business in Draper’s Yard. Chichester’s premier crafts market, Draper’s Yard features a range of unique shopping and crafting businesses. The AlfPaca boutique is so-named because the 6-year old daughter of our CEO couldn’t quite manage to pronounce the word ‘alpaca’, and the name has now stuck! The ‘Alf-Paca’ Boutique is an exciting new development in Releasing Potential’s quest to provide safe and sustainable work placements for children and young people unable to thrive in mainstream settings.

Located in the lovely craft market at The Hornet in Chichester, the AlfPaca Boutique shed houses a small shop stocked with hand made products manufactured from alpaca fleece, as well as alpaca-inspired prints, tee shirts, craft kits, lino cuts and handbags. The shop is staffed by students on sixth-form work placement from Releasing Potential School, and many of the items are made by our students as part of our alternative curriculum in school. With a focus on practical and creative skills that help build confidence, self-reliance and a sense of self-worth, students are able to make a range of items as part of their NCFE qualifications or project work. All proceeds from the sale of alpaca products go to support Releasing Potential School and our work with young people in education. Its a great place to visit for browsing original gift ideas or for those keen to try making their own items from beautiful soft alpaca wool.

If you want to know more, visit Draper’s Yard or shop online for our fabulous alpaca-inspired products.

First Shearing Done!

First Shearing Done!

On 7th July 2017, our alpaca heard were sheared for the first time since they arrived at our Farm site near Chichester in West Sussex. Staff and students were on hand to help with shearing, including our very own “Alpaca Jack” Jack Arden-Brown, who supervised the shearing team that came out from Shearing UK. The Shearing UK team expertly navigated the process of giving our alpacas a wee haircut, and our hairy boys were none the worse for their short back and sides experience! The alpaca wool was collected up and will be used to make alpaca products once it has been spun into yarn by local crafters at Spiral Spin in Chichester.