Matthew’s special bond with Storytime is shared in his debut book

THE Story of Storytime is Matthew Garner’s first published book. The new author has written about his adventures with his favourite horse called Storytime.

Matthew lives at JPC Community Farm, where he has built a special relationship with Storytime while training his equine friend to walk beside his electric wheelchair around the farm’s musical therapy and sensory gardens, orchard and woodland walk.

JPC Community Farm’s resident artist Daniel Waugh has illustrated the book. The charity opened a special Go Fund Me page to cover publishing costs, and the book was launched with signings at the Stokesley farm and Stockton’s

Drake the Bookshop last weekend.

The JPC of JPC Community Farm is James Paul Connaughton, the 22-year-old son of Paul and Julie.

James has Cerebral Palsy and an extremely rare genetic disorder known as Pura Syndrome. As James moved into adulthood, his parents considered their own future and the needs of James and his sister

Abigail. The Connaughtons had a dream to create a family home where their son’s complex needs could be met and he could also thrive. The couple began fundraising and searching for their dream site with a vision not just for their own lives, but to help other families.

Once they found the 22-acre Thorn Tree Farm at Busby, the couple sourced the financial support they needed to enable them to convert the 18th century farmhouse and outbuildings into suitable accommodation for 23 adults with complex needs. Besides permanent self-contained, supported living apartments, the farm also offers respite packages and welcomes non residents. The charity builds training packages tailored to individual needs and to promote independent living. Diverse skills currently being mastered include sewing, baking, wheelchair basketball, board game development and, of course, creative writing, publishing and book illustration.

You may already be familiar with the community farm thanks to the charity’s patron, Yorkshire Vet Julian Norton, who visited the farm for Channel 5. Storytime and three other horses currently share their home with chickens, guinea pigs, rabbits, rats and a snake.

James is a huge motorsport fan and JPC Motorsports raises funds with events such as Stockton’s Supercar Saturday and Croft’s Smiles for Miles.

The charity is always looking for new friends and volunteers and welcomes guests who have skills and inspirational stories to share.