Once facing exclusion and struggling in care, Riley found freedom, focus and a future at Jamie’s Farm.
At 14 years old, Riley came to Jamie’s Farm with a group of children, all in care. He’d been excluded from school multiple times, but at the farm, something clicked.
“Being outdoors, no one judging you, working with animals – it helped me open up,” he recalls. “I just wanted to get stuck in.”
Riley returned for day visits during the pandemic, and in 2023 began an apprenticeship, offering
support and understanding to other young people, just like him.
Now 18, through his apprenticeship, Riley achieved his English GCSE, and a Distinction in his Level 3 Outdoor Education qualification. He is now part of our Youth Champion group.
”I’ve learned about who I am and what I want to do,“ he says. “I can see I have a future now.”
Photos: (Right) Riley age 14, during his first visit to Jamie’s Farm, and (left) age 18, as an Apprentice and Youth Champion.
