Our Mission Statement

Our mission is to provide a safe, happy, calm and nurturing environment where everyone feels valued. 

Adults with mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, and disabilities can:-

• come and engage in purposeful activity
• be given the opportunity to engage with animals and experience positive relationships with them, without judgement
• be involved in the growing, nurturing and the harvesting of fruit and vegetables

And always with consideration being given to the environment and the welfare of others

‘Care farming’ is the nationally recognised term for the therapeutic use of farming practices. Care farms use the whole or part of a farm to provide health, social and educational care services for a range of vulnerable groups of people. Care Farming is a growing national movement in the UK but it is not a new concept as a successful project ran in the 1940s taking adults and children from residential care in cities to rehabilitate in a rural environment.

Health and social issues that include disabilities, obesity, depression and an increase in the number of disaffected young people place much pressure on health and social care and education providers. 

The business case for care farming hinges on the potential win-win scenario for both the health and social care, and farming sectors. This is because Care Farming offers:

• Evidence of positive outcomes

• Support for individuals to develop confidence and promote participation

• Development of employment skills

• Economic viability of farming

• Community bases

• Benefit to the local economy

There is robust evidence in support of Care Farming. According to the key findings of a research project conducted by the University of Essex in 2008 entitled, ‘Care Farming in the UK’ (Hine, Peacock and Pretty, 2008):

• Spending time participating in care farm activities is effective in enhancing mood and improving self-esteem

• Working on a care farm can significantly increase self-esteem and reduce feelings of anger, confusion, depression, tension and fatigue, whilst also enabling participants to feel more active and energetic

Care farming therefore offers an ideal way of helping a wide variety of people to feel better.

The nurture of plants and care of animals gives people a sense of responsibility and achievement and because neither judge, they are not threatening.