Farms for City Children Autumn Newsletter 2022

FARMS CITY CHILDREN FOR

As I write this introduction to you, the summer heat evaporates, the nights draw in, the season morphs and the land bursts with produce ready to harvest. Our relaunch year post-pandemic has been a triumph, and we welcomed more than 2800 young people through our three farms and 400 accompanying adults.

All beneficiaries who experienced increased learning and engagement, improved connections and wellbeing and an enhanced sense of environmental citizenship as a direct result of a week of muck and magic. I am thrilled to be able to share this snapshot of the incredible range of activities that have been enjoyed by our children since the Spring.

This year has shown us how desperately needed Farms for City Children is for children and young people across the UK navigating their childhood through barriers that prevent them engaging meaningfully with food, farming, and the natural world. More than ever we have a responsibility to welcome increasingly diverse beneficiaries, and our new strategy of opening all year round has allowed us to renew our pledge to be fully inclusive of all children and to throw our doors open to young people from 8-25, family groups coming with their church or mosque, health and social care trusts, virtual schools caring for children in the care system, special needs providers, third sector charity groups and young people completing their Duke of Edinburgh Gold award, to name just a few.

As we look ahead into a winter where the cost-of-living crisis threatens the stability of our very society, Farms for City Children stands resolutely determined to use our offer to provide the nurture and support that children and their carers need through this period of hardship. Our partnerships

across the sector, and the compassionate support of all our funders and donors will ensure that our three farms continue to be the refuge from these challenges, delivering inspiring, immersive, and life-changing experiences where transferable life skills are attained and grit and growth mindset is cultivated to stimulate self-esteem and resilience in our young people.

I want to offer you my heartfelt thanks for standing with us while we deliver this mission; your committed giving has a transformative impact on the beneficiaries of the charity. Your funding enables us to be the difference we want to see in our world, and we could not commit ourselves to this service without you.

Donna Edmonds CEO

TIME ON THE FARM

MEET OUR BENEFICIARIES

We are delighted to meet our beneficiary Katie Campbell (Miss Campbell to her pupils) a Year 5 Teacher and Year Group Lead from Kelvin Grove Primary School in Lewisham, South London.

Katie has brought groups to Nethercott House for the last 5 years and agreed to become a Teacher Ambassador for the charity after her most recent visit in April 2022.

When we asked why Nethercott House is so special Katie said: “The first time I went, we walked out into the farmyard and one of the boys turned round to me and pulled my arm and said ‘Miss, Miss – that’s a real live horse!’ and he’d never seen a horse before apart from on the TV and in books. That is just magical; children are experiencing things they have never witnessed before.”

Is there anything from the farm that you think has had an impact on the children back at school?

“Confidence is a big thing, and just the amount that they care. They have really developed their care for each other, for the environment, and for themselves as well. We also had a pupil who has been in and on time every day since

she came back from Nethercott, and that has not happened since she joined us. That is huge impact. The children become more aware of where food comes from, how hard farmers work and the need to be more respectful of their environment. This then leads to an increase in interest in caring for our school grounds - collecting rubbish and looking after the plants in the playgrounds. They also become more appreciative of what their parents and carers provide for them at home.”

When we asked Katie if she had a memory that will stay with her from the most recent trip, she told us about the impact the visit had had on J* one of her Year 5 pupils.

“On that first day, he turned to me in the farmyard and said ‘get me out of here, I don’t want to be here. Find that coach, I’m going home.’” Despite being a self-described ‘grinch’ at the start of the visit, J left us with a newfound love for animals, farming and working with the land.

J said, “When I was at Nethercott, I really enjoyed the manure digging and how I was challenged to push more wheelbarrows. I also really liked feeding the animals and taking care of them. Before Nethercott, I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I was older. But after I left, I knew I wanted to be a farmer. I would like to make my own farm for children to come to.”

“Before Nethercott, I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I was older. But after I left, I knew I wanted to be a farmer.”

Since returning to London, J has been to visit an agricultural college with his parents, and now wants to study farming. He describes himself as ‘a lot happier’ and says he doesn’t get in trouble as often in class. Before we wrapped up our chat with J, he wanted to ask how the animals were getting on at Nethercott – the sign of a true farmer in the making.

We rounded off our conversation asking Katie why she thinks Farms for City Children is so important.

“It is an experience that stays with children for the rest of their lives. In fact, one dad spoke to me at school pick-up to say how excited he is that his daughter is going to Nethercott as he

went there as a child and absolutely loved it. He said that one of his lasting memories was the relationships he built with his peers that he had not spent time with before, and also the teachers, as well as the hands-on experience he had on the farm. This is such a special charity that offers our children so much.”

If the conversations here teach us anything, it’s that being a farmer for a week brings meaningful change to children’s and teachers lives – change that will impact long after they leave the farm. Thank you to Katie, J, and all the past and present visiting staff and pupils from Kelvin Grove.

Our young farmer J, Nethercott House

Katie Campbell, Nethercott House

FARM NEWS

As part of our commitment to hosting diverse beneficiary groups, we were fortunate enough to host six young people, aged 18-20, for 4 nights as part of their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award.

We created a program for them to work as a team in caring for the farm and gardens, harvest, prepare and serve meals and have time to reflect in our magical Spinney. These individuals worked tirelessly – making compost bays, preserving fruit cages, and laying weed membrane so that we can make the most of

future harvests. We were immensely proud of each of them as they grew as people and experienced the muck and magic Farms for City Children holds at its roots.

Our first school for this academic year have enjoyed their own ‘Prior Weston Devon Pasties’, which the children made and enjoyed with a freshly picked salad of Nethercott leaves and edible flowers from our walled garden. The bubbling, happy conversations drift up the stairs as the children share meals throughout their week with us; tasting, talking about and trying new foods. Autumn is always a time of harvesting interesting things like autumn raspberries, pumpkins, squash and

tromboncinos (which resemble snozzcumbers by sight, but are a firm courgette by taste). We must thank our garden volunteers who work so hard to support this wonderful growth.

Nethercott House will welcome many schools across autumn and winter, some of whom have been coming for over twenty years and some who are new to us. We are really looking forward to sharing our farm with children from The Virtual School, Devon, who will be coming to us for day visits throughout the year. Our farm will be welcoming some woollier friends soon too as we collect our new flock of White-faced Dartmoor sheep. Coming from the south-western edge of Dartmoor, this rare

breed will join our Grey-faces and other local rare breeds on the farm, such as our Large Black pigs.

Looking ahead, we are excited to develop our apiary sessions, which will move to the evenings during winter so the children can continue learning about our hardworking honeybees and their honey, as well as exploring the dark Devon nights with stargazing.

As we put our garden to bed for the winter, the children will be working hard barrowing farmyard manure onto plots to develop our wonderful fresh soil. So much to look forward to, we can’t wait to enjoy it!

Kelvin Grove Primary School, Nethercott House

Pembrokeshire Military families, Lower Treginnis

Birmingham Children’s Trust and Birmingham City Football Club Foundation beneficiaries, Lower Treginnis

FARM NEWS

New groups arrived at Lower Treginnis for residentials during the summer holidays for the first time ever!

These included Fourteen, a group from East London Mosque, Pembrokeshire Military families and Birmingham Health Trust and Birmingham Football Club brought a group of young people supported by their outreach programme. We look forward to embracing many more diverse groups this year.

As I write this update, autumn is drawing in and the nights are getting shorter. All the team are very excited about the year ahead. We will be welcoming schools this autumn term who will experience a plethora of activities that will immerse them in the world of food, farming and the natural world.

The first cut flower patch at Lower Treginnis has been a real success and is still producing a mass of beautiful flowers that the children can display all around the farm building. We are now looking ahead and planning our patch ready for next spring. The children take responsibility for the whole process from sowing seeds to wheelbarrowing the compost on to the no-dig beds. It’s always inspiring to see what children are capable of and how they should never be underestimated.

Our enrichment session, which was a real hit last year, will also be developed this term. We give the children the opportunity to be mindful and guide them through a variety of breathing exercises that they can use in their daily lives to control emotions and anxieties.

The livestock sessions are always enjoyed by the children and this term we have plenty of animals for them to be looking after. Both our sows farrowed at the start of September with 22 piglets between them! We have introduced two new nanny goats that the children milk, teaching them first hand where their food comes from. Our farming partner, Aled, has also developed new sheep sessions which will demonstrate all that is required to farm sheep commercially.

The farm garden is extremely productive and all children this term will have the chance to harvest produce for their dinner including carrots, parsnips, and peppers. This coupled with our fantastic new menu will really give the children the opportunity to embrace the field > farm > fork message.

This term is going to be great with lots of new activities which at their core will give our young farmers an opportunity to develop grit, a growth mindset and a set of valuable transferable life skills.

NEWS

HRH Princess Anne, Wick Court

We have had a packed season of visitors since our last update and were honoured to welcome both HRH Princess Anne to the farm, and a new group, Netherley Youth and Community Initiative, a Liverpool based community group offering recreation and educational opportunities for local young people.

We were also pleased to have the opportunity to work with local families connected to the care system, through Gloucestershire Virtual School. Following this successful (and hot!) summer, our staff, volunteers, and animals are looking forward to some colder temperatures at Wick Court.

During harvesting season, the children have been busy collecting apples, pears, and blackberries, and visiting groups will continue to press this into juice for their breakfast and use them for preparing seasonal dishes in our cookery sessions. The garden is thriving with fresh produce from previous months of arduous work, and our groups will continue to collect vegetables including chard, onions, and potatoes. By the time you read this, we will have started our coppicing routines, taking rods of willow for fence making and weaving. Thanks to the support of Gloucestershire County Council, we will also be planting 700 hazel trees on a wildlife walk, to create a better heaven for birds.

Our biodiversity sessions have proved very popular, and we will be using our binoculars and microscopes to look closely at insects over the winter. Oldbury sessions will continue throughout winter, which means the walk to and from the dairy becomes more of an adventure! When the children arrive, they will feed cattle and learn about the processes of commercial milk production. If they are lucky, they may see a birth! Back at Wick Court our winter lambing season will start in November with the arrival of more Dorset and Greyface lambs. As part of the preparations for these new arrivals, we have developed an area for children to clean and process the sheep’s fleece for crafts.

Beekeeping sessions have now ended as we have extracted the honey from summer, but children visiting in autumn and winter will reap the reward of this work and get to taste our very own Wick Court honey! And finally, in early January we will be holding the annual Wassail event in the orchard. Children visiting that week will have the once in a lifetime experience of attendance at a centuries old event within rural communities, which celebrates the apple tree.

FUNDRAISING

With the help of generous donations, we welcome three thousand children each year to our working farms to spend an immersive residential with us. We subsidise the cost of each visit through fundraising, but we cannot do it without you!

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

Support our Big Give Christmas Challenge

From November 29th to December 6th, you can double your donation! With your support, we are aiming aim to raise £26,000 to subsidise residential visits for up to 95 children.

Scan the QR code to donate through our campaign page from November 29th.

Hold your own fundraising event

You could organise a bake sale, tasting evening, clothes swap or nature treasure hunt. Get your friends, family and community involved, and we will be there to support you every step of the way.

Set up a regular gift

Could you support a child’s farm visit by becoming a monthly regular giver? Regular donations help us plan ahead and reach more beneficiaries, supporting them to reap the benefits of connecting with nature on our farms.

Donate the gift of muck and magic

£9 could pay for a set of children’s waterproof overalls £22 could pay for a mental health and being session £52 could pay for an animal care session

If you would like to find out more about fundraising or donating to Farms for City Children, please give us a call on 01392 276678 or email fundraising@farmsforcitychildren.org

Each act of kindness will make a positive difference to children and young people’s lives and help us bring even more beneficiaries to our farms. Thank you.

Chesterton Primary School, Wick Court

SPOTLIGHT ON OUR PARTNERS & FUNDERS

We want to take this opportunity to celebrate a few of our amazing partners and funders. Our thanks and appreciation go to every individual, company, trust and foundation who have given so generously this year.

Worshipful Company of Butchers

Our sincere thanks to our friends, The Worshipful Company of Butchers, for selecting us as the charity of choice at their annual fundraising ball raising £37,000, funding a MRes post at Harper Adams University exploring the impact we have on our young beneficiaries and awarding us 3-year funding. We look forward to building this relationship and are so grateful for their support.

KW Marketing

We are so proud to be supported by KW Marketing who have pledged to donate the cost of subsiding one child’s visit every quarter. Their donations ensure four children can enjoy a week of Muck and Magic at our farms each year, making memories that will last a lifetime. Thank you to Kate and the wonderful team!

Joules

This summer saw the celebration of a big milestone with long-term partner Joules… £50,000 raised for Farms for City Children! Staff and customers at the clothing brand have been donating when shopping on the Joules website, taking part in Charity Week, and we even received 50 pairs of wellies at our farms as part of the celebration. Thank you, Joules!

The Ernest Cook Trust

We are delighted to announce our new partnership with The Ernest Cook Trust, who have extended their OWL Collaboration (Outdoor Week of Learning) into Wales for the first time. The OWL Collaboration provides funding to outdoor learning centres for residential visits reaching children who might not otherwise have an opportunity to spend time in the countryside. Scan the QR code to read the full article on our website.

Harris Primary Academy Coleraine Park, Lower Treginnis

Worshipful Company of Butchers Ball, London

FARMS FOR CITY CHILDREN

Joules boots in action, Wick Court

Give a child a: Sense of Belonging

Dinner is a special time on our farms. An opportunity to digest what we have learnt during the day and share our life stories with those around us. This gift will give two children a homemade meal and the sense of belonging that is created over dinner, which for some children is a new experience.

Give a child: Self Confidence

The ability to try something new, be brave and have a go, are always encouraged on our farms and nonemore so than during the Forest School sessions. Give one child confidence; an essential life skill that will stay with them forever.

OUR SHOP

Give a child: Safety and Warmth

Mental and physical health are key areas of education during the time spent on our farms. To ensure that children be the best that they can be and benefit from vitamin D and the great outdoors whatever the weather, children need protective clothing. This gift will pay for two children to have waterproof trousers and safety gloves.

Give a child: An Understanding

Understanding the impact that our actions have on the world around us are taught across the farms through the farm to fork agenda. Appreciating where our food comes from, along with the environmental & sustainable factors are key to the future generations.

Based on educating twelve children on Farm to Fork agenda.

1. Farms for City Children Soap, £5.00 each. Choose from three delectable scents: Orange & Frankincense, Lavender Herb Garden, Flowers of Flowers. 2. Driftwood Keyrings, £3.00 3. A5 Spiral Bound Sketchbook, £6.00. Perfect for budding artists and small enough to travel. 4. Eco Friendly Water Bottle, £8.00. For every bottle that we purchase, a tree will be planted to support the environmental impact. 5. Enamel Mug, £6.00 6. Muck & Magic Tea Towel, £6.00. Quentin Blake’s Muck & Magic, made from 100% cotton. 7. ‘Christmas Sheep’ Christmas Cards, £6.00. 10 cards with envelopes per pack. 8. ‘Christmas Kisses’ Christmas Cards, £6.00. 10 cards with envelopes per pack.