At the start of the month, we were delighted to welcome back a long standing partner of Jamie’s Farm, Orchardside. Young people from inner city London once again proved that they could rise to all the challenges a week on the farm has to offer; hikes in the Black Mountains, livestock moves, all while grappling with a new routine and lack of phones!
The Halley Academy weren’t fazed by a bit of mud, along with a lot of rain, and threw themselves into every part of the farm. We also enjoyed an adventurous week of camping with Hackney Virtual School, where we were impressed with their kayaking skills and their enthusiasm for cooking on the BBQ.
“The farm experience was beneficial for all of the students but particularly for A… Before the visit he was incredibly shy and had few friends. By the end of the visit, he was visibly more relaxed, talking and smiling across the table over the final breakfast and openly laughing. The other students commented on how much they liked and valued his company. He took on leadership roles both in the work on the farm and at night when he read to the other students in his room. I think this will have a really positive impact on his self-esteem and his relationships.”
Visiting Teacher
We’d like to extend a huge thank you to everyone who supported our open day on Saturday 15th July. Delicious, home-grown lunches, fantastic talks, mission aligned stalls and lots of community spirit made for what felt like a heartening day for all involved. A particular shout out to our weekly garden volunteers who work tirelessly throughout all the seasons to keep the site looking beautiful and welcoming – we couldn’t do it without you.
The open day also saw the bittersweet end to our 2022/2023 cohort of Ambassadors. Twelve young people from across England participated in this year-long programme and have visited all our Farms across the year. They had a wonderful weekend together, did themselves and us proud with their involvement at the Open Day, and finished the weekend off with a wonderful celebration. We will miss this group of Ambassadors, but look forward to watching what they achieve over the coming years.
We are soon to be saying goodbye to one of our longest standing members of the team, Chris. He started over 5 years ago, supporting with our festival, Cock & Bull, and volunteering on the Hereford farm. He quickly became a key member of the team, living on site and sharing his many skills and wisdom with the young people that came to stay, always going the extra mile to ensure visits were coordinated to the highest possible standard. Chris, thank you for all your incredible work – you will be hugely missed!
We look forward to hosting stalls at Longtown Show (August 19th) and Monmouth Show (August 20th). We’d love to see some of you there, so do come on down for a chat!
