Local charity Jamie’s Farm is asking members of the public to help it reach a £50,000 fundraising milestone, to help fulfil its mission of supporting vulnerable children and enabling them to thrive.
Photo courtesy of Jamie’s Farm
Jamie’s Farm offers young people and vulnerable groups the opportunity to visit its rural havens, where they are fully immersed in farm life and receive tailored therapeutic support through the charity’s unique programme of Farming, Family, Therapy and Legacy.
Although residential trips have been put on hold due to government restrictions, Jamie’s Farm has been working with schools to devise a new day-visit programme for the children who have been able to attend.
During the day visits, the youngsters benefit from fresh air, energising walks, healthy homegrown food and the opportunity to do meaningful, practical work.
The programme has been specifically designed to help children re-engage with school and their peers following the stresses of lockdown.
To help them continue their important work, Jamie’s Farm is calling for support during this year’s Big Give Christmas Challenge donation week.
Throughout the week of 1st – 8th December, every donation to Jamie’s Farm will be doubled thanks to The Childhood Trust and individual donors who have provided the match funding, in partnership with The Big Give.
You can pledge your support to the campaign here: www.jamiesfarm.org.uk/big-give-christmas-2020.
The charity has set an ambitious target of raising £50,000 through the campaign, which would, in turn, be doubled to £100,000. This will help bring its programme to 1,500 vulnerable children in the year ahead.
Jamie Feilden, CEO and founder of Jamie’s Farm, said: “It has been a tremendously difficult year for the children we support, many of whom have faced serious hardships, deprivation, isolation and cramped living conditions.
“The negative impact of Covid-19 and two national lockdowns on children’s mental health and education has been widely documented and schools have expressed a real need for what our programme offers.
“We are looking forward to restarting our full residential trips when possible but, until then, we are pleased that our day-visits are making a clear positive impact on young people’s wellbeing, behaviour, confidence and self-esteem.
“We are proud to have strong partnerships with our local schools and it has been a real boost for our staff and teams to know we are making a tangible difference to the lives of so many deserving children.
“There is no better time to support Jamie’s Farm than during our Big Give Christmas Challenge where every pound donated will be doubled.
“Every gift, however small, is gratefully received and will go directly to helping the young people who need our support more now than ever before.”
Mark Solomon, Headteacher from Colerne Church of England Primary School, said: “As a very local school to Jamie’s Farm we have always been aware of the wonderful work they do for children, so, when the opportunity came along for our children to get the chance to spend some days in their company, we jumped at the chance.
“In this year of the pandemic, when the anxiety levels of our children are at their highest, we decided to take the whole of Year 6 for two days each.
“It was the best decision that we will ever make for those children. We had high expectations of what we could hope for from our days at the Farm but the reality was even better.
“Whether it is the horse therapy, chopping logs, preparing lunch, mucking out pigs or stroking the pygmy goat, the activities allowed each child to shine.
“As a school, we feel exceptionally fortunate to have been given this opportunity and if you ever get the chance to work with Jamie’s Farm then make it the quickest thing you ever say ‘yes’ to.”
