"Farm therapy" from the Kids Company Newsletter - Spring 2009
Farm therapy Jamie’s Farm aims to engage young people at risk of social exclusion by giving them an intensive experience of living and working on a farm. Kids Company took a group of under-16s for a mind-expanding weekend in the country.
Andy Gough, Activities Manager: ‘I was anticipating a lot of problems. The kids were asked to hand their mobiles in when they arrived and expected to eat at the dining table – they felt immediately challenged, even threatened, by these unfamiliar boundaries. They were not going to settle that easily, at least not consistently and calmly. ‘But after three days of wood chopping, walks, horse riding, farm chores, a bonfire, sleeping in a hut in the woods, feeding the animals, eating at the table, helping around the house and learning to listen to one another, the kids managed to sit together for an hour eating a Christmas dinner, and then listen to everyone praise each individual for their efforts. It was an incredible transformation.’
Jamie Feilden, founder of Jamie’s Farm: ‘We were struck by the professionalism and commitment of the Kids Company staff and their engagement with, and belief in, the young people they work with.’
We are very grateful to Jamie and his team for providing our children with such a valuable escape from city life, and look forward to developing this partnership over the coming months. For more information about the project, see: www.jamiesfarm.org.uk. If you can support this venture our fundraising team would love to hear from you – please contact Josie: j.curran@kidsco.org.uk.
