Engaging with students during the Covid 19 lockdown

Abberley Care Farm has found Facebook to be our key to keeping our students and families engaged during lockdown. We have a closed Facebook page for students, parents, carers and colleagues which gives everyone peace of mind that we can monitor safeguarding carefully, Almost all of our families have someone using Facebook who can support our younger children to access it. We use it to run a Facebook “Abberley Care Farm Critters Live” show at 10.30am weekdays, we also ran this during the holidays. We are an alternative provision working alongside schools to provide animal assisted therapeutic intervention supporting lots of young people with EHCP’s, many are struggling greatly and we are helping to reduce the anxieties by physically showing the children that life at the farm is still ticking along. It has given our students reassurance and entertainment seeing their animals and family staff daily. We have lots of engagement and interaction through quizzes and setting little competitions, the children’s live feed comments are great and tend to shape the show as they send requests for particular donkey hugs we try to fulfil their wishes.  We offer Asdan qualifications and have found setting life skills challenges has been a great way to support meaningful tasks at home and it gives our live feed a focus. The children have written stories about their favourite farm animals that we have then done our best to act out! They love watching art and craft sessions, donkeys playing skittles, dog grooming and agility, going for virtual pony rides, planting up Rufus the garden car, and helping the children with lockdown birthdays to have a pet party to name but a few! We then follow up with 1:1 facetime which has been an invaluable link to keep in touch with our families and help our school SENCO’s by maintaining contact. We look forward to re-opening when we get the go ahead in the meantime please stay safe. X

Art Cabin

Did you know that the average person has 60,000 thoughts per day – and 95% of them are exactly the same, every single day? Activities like painting can help to lower stress, providing a distraction and giving your brain a break from your usual thoughts.

Spending time painting and being creative relieves stress, encourages creative thinking, boosts self-esteem, provides a sense of accomplishment and nurture emotional growth.

At Abberley Care Farm we provide an artistic escape to students in our state of the art Art Cabin, providing a safe haven away from the hustle and bustle of life where learners can escape into their own bubble of tranquility.

We are delighted to present to you some of the work that our students have created this year below.

Continue reading “Art Cabin”

Kemp Hospice and Macmillan Cancer Support Fundraiser!

Our Level 1 Students raised an amazing £143.00 through a coffee afternoon at the Farm.

The proceeds of this will be donated equally between Kemp Hospice and Macmillan Cancer Support.

Thankfully the weather held out with a sunny day as the guests arrived at the farm to enjoy fresh cakes, hot drinks and of course a tour around the animals

by our students! The event was organised and arranged by the students as part of their Asdan CoPE qualification.

These two charities were chosen by our students as their families have recently benefitted from their support.

Macmillan Cancer Support is a charity that provides physical, emotional and financial support to people that are fighting cancer, and their families.

Kemp Hospice is a more local charity to us, based in The Wyre Forest they offer care and support to patients, families and carers who are experiencing

life-limiting illnesses and bereavement.

For more information please check out their links here:

Macmillan Cancer Support: https://www.macmillan.org.uk/

Kemp Hospice: https://www.kemphospice.org.uk/

Fundraising for Forest Dog Rescue!

In May our staff and students pulled together to organise a Sponsored Dog walk in The Wyre Forest! This raised an incredible £350.00, which will be donated to Forest Dog Rescue. 

Students came together with big smiles and lots of waggy tails to walk around the Wyre Forest. Everyone had been busy in the weeks before getting their sponsorship money, so a big thank you is due to all of the generous people that gave to a very worthy cause.

Forest Dog Rescue is a local charity in the Wyre Forest who take in stray and abandoned dogs from the Midlands and help them to discover their forever home. This incredible charity is 100% reliant on donations from the public and all of the money is put towards loving and nurturing the dogs and transitioning them into their new homes. “Because every dog deserves a second chance” this was our student’s chosen charity for the walk.

This cause is very close to the Care Farm’s heart as our very own Webley was adopted from Forest Dog Rescue five years ago. Webley spends her days out on the farm with the students, getting outside, playing and most importantly, helping to oversee the lunch boxes!

 

 

Find out more information about Forest Dog Rescue here:

https://www.forest-dog-rescue.org.uk/

Prom 2019

It was delightful to see our students dressed up in their best bib and tucker in June at Worcester Racecourse’s Lady Day for their prom!

Our students arrived under sunny blue skies and enjoyed a traditional British picnic set up in the field alongside the track, with plenty of sweets, treats and snacks to enjoy from the prime position of our deck chairs and picnic blankets right next to the action!

It was a lovely afternoon spent enjoying the horse racing and some well-earned time relaxing after a long year of studying and working with the animals on the Farm!

Summer Holiday Farm Club

Summer Holiday Farm Club.

Join us this summer for an enriching therapeutic provision in the heart of the countryside at our Summer Holiday Farm Club!

 

We are running several small groups of a maximum of six students, as well as a 1-1 provision.

The day will consist of feeding and grooming the animals, learning to maintain their stables and care for them, horse riding and a fun afternoon of activities such as arts and crafts, dog agility or nature trails.

 

A day at the Care Farm will run as follows:

The day begins at 9.30am until 2.30pm.

9:30 – 11:00       We start the day feeding and grooming the animals, getting to know each animal, learning how to care for the ponies and donkeys.

 

11:00- 11:30      We all then enjoy a well-earned tea and toast break together, where our students can choose to either sit inside or enjoy the sun outside and join in games.

 

11:30 – 12:30    Following the break, everyone gets the opportunity to horse ride if they wish to. Then students will learn how to maintain the stables by filling hay nets, the animal waters, doing a bit of mucking out and learning how to care for the goats, pigs, small animals and poultry.

12.30 – 1:00        Lunch – bring a packed lunch or something to microwave / or toastie.

1:00 – 2:30         The afternoon will then consist of fun team building activities like dog agility, exploring nature trails or Art and craft projects.

2.30pm                  Home time with a smile 😊

 

Prices for the day:

Farm Club Group: £50 per day, per student, discounts for siblings.

One to one session: £25 an hour, with riding.

 

Three Counties Show Schools Day

We had a moo-velous day at the Three Counties this year!

As part of our enrichments program, a group of our students and staff enjoyed a day exploring all things country across the incredible showground.

With everything from Live demonstrations, the main ring attractions, an extensive collection of farmyard animals and plenty of shops, there was more than enough to keep us all busy!

Shrawley Walkers

Thank you to the Shrawley Walkers for their incredibly generous donation of £100 to Abberley Care Farm this June!

The group meet every Wednesday and walk together along a nature trail that they choose within Worcestershire, enjoying the natural scenery and each other’s company. Walks usually span from between 3 miles and 5 miles, with humans and pooches taking on the trails, to usually end at a local pub for some well-earned food and a good chat!

Each time they meet, a voluntary £1 can be put into a central fund which they then donate to a chosen charity. Since the group began in 2000 they have raised an incredible £10,500 for their chosen charities!

 

The money donated to the Care Farm is going to be put towards a new saddle for Scooby, one of our therapy ponies. The students enjoy riding at the farm, usually getting a 20-minute session each time they visit (weather permitting).

To find out more about The Shrawley Walkers, check out their page here: http://www.shrawley.org.uk/shrawley-walkers.html#

Give the dog a badge!

This summer our very own Buddy the Basset hound took his first step into stardom with our Student Isabella when they visited the Blue Peter studio for the welcome party for Blue Peter’s Beagle-Basset cross, Henry.

Accompanied by our member of staff Anna, there were plenty of waggy tails and smiling faces as they joined a group of other lucky fans that were selected to join the celebration.

You can see them partying away on BBC iPlayer, it was aired on TV on July 11th on Blue Peter!

Blue Peter badges are a core part of our enrichment program, with Isabella spending her time at the farm completing her Blue Badge, Environmental Badge and more!

Earning a Blue Peter Badge is a big achievement, demonstrating that they have worked to spend time and learn about the topic, getting creative and making something to demonstrate this development to Blue Peter. Once awarded a badge, the recipient can enjoy free entry to over 400 attractions across the UK!