This month we have welcomed a secondary school, Coop Stoke on Trent, a primary school, Coop Smithies Moor, and a group of Unaccompanied Asylum Seekers via Hummingbird, aged between 19 and 23. It is always so special to see the impact that the farm can have on young people of all ages and backgrounds, even when the temperatures are low and the rainfall is high.
This February has brought the start of lambing season – always a magical time on the farm. The lambs have inspired a lot of creativity from the young people, just like the felted sheep’s wool ewe pictured below. Notice the detail of an orange tag (meaning she’s pregnant with triplets) from a very observant young person. We are also very excited about our new shed, which has been concreted and is now holding livestock to make a lovely entrance to the farm.Â
Our fantastic garden volunteers have been hard at work, making the most of the winter season to clear our driveway banks. We could not keep the site looking the way it does without them, so we send out a special thanks to them for having kept going in the winter months. We are also very excited to welcome our new regular volunteer, Jane, who comes and works alongside young people in the kitchen and up the mountains – a woman of many talents! It is wonderful to have members of the local community getting involved with the work we do, and they make it all the more special.
We welcomed Jack, a former Jamie’s Farm attendee, ambassador and apprentice, to the farm this month. He joined for a week and was a fantastic asset to the team, working alongside staff as if he’d been here for years, and the young people were so eager to hear about his experiences.
Two brave members of our team, Rob and Ali, deserve a shout-out for signing up to do the Black Mountain Challenge for mountain rescue. A fantastic day and a fantastic cause, good luck to them both!
Do you have skills that could be used on a farm? Do you work with young people and want to develop your practice in a totally different setting? We are always looking out for residential volunteers – come and stay on our beautiful farm and get involved with all the magic that the farm can offer!
