Young Lives Flourish With Hands-On Farm Therapy

Quick Smiles:

• Jamie’s Farm combines agriculture and therapy to uplift young people’s mental health.
• Farm tasks help participants build confidence, communication, and optimism.
• Over 17,000 youths report improved wellbeing after farm stays.

On the outskirts of Bath in England, Jamie’s Farm helps young people reconnect with nature and themselves through meaningful farm work. The charity blends regenerative farming with nurturing support to empower those facing mental health challenges.

Young participants are referred by schools and spend their days engaging in activities from mucking out pigs to tending gardens, followed by group meals and reflective conversations.

“Children want to be hardworking.”

Tish Feilden, co‑founder and psychotherapist, says she believes giving children real responsibilities helps instill a sense of purpose and belonging, which is often missing in traditional school environments.

While rates of special needs support and truancy have risen, Feilden is hopeful.

“Although the system feels tough and the world for kids is as tough as I have ever known it, I think the wind of change is here.”

She says this expresses her optimism about change for children.

Since its founding two decades ago, Jamie’s Farm has welcomed over 17,000 young people across six locations in England and Wales.

Seventy percent of visitors report better mental health, and nearly 70% show improved school behavior.

Adele Newell, a previous participant, shares:

“Now I’m a lot more willing to try things, a lot more open.”

She later became an apprentice at Jamie’s Farm, inspiring others with her experience.

Just five days on the farm can bring lasting change.

“It’s immersive, and it touches every aspect of the child’s mind, body and spirit, and it gives them hope. It gives them optimism, and it gives them a new value of themselves.”

Tish Feilden says the program gives children hope and a renewed sense of themselves.

Good news stories like Jamie’s Farm remind us how purposeful, hands-on experiences can foster positivity and growth in young lives.

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