We’re really pleased to share some very positive news: we’ve received £20,000 from The National Lottery Community Fund to help more people from diverse and disadvantaged communities experience the benefits of spending time on the land here.
Over the next two years, this funding will allow us to welcome groups from four local organisations for a total of 40 visits. The groups we’ll be working with – Aidbox Community, Refugees Welcome North Somerset, Missing Link and the NHS’s Second Step programme - include people seeking asylum and refugees, survivors of domestic and sexual abuse and violence, and people experiencing mental ill-health. Many are navigating incredibly difficult circumstances, from displacement and separation from family and friends to language barriers, trauma, uncertainty and poor mental health.
And for some, access to green space is limited too. People seeking asylum, for example, may be living in temporary accommodation such as hotels, with few opportunities to get out into the countryside.
We know from the past 15 years of our work that spending time connected to food, farming and wildlife can make a real difference to how people feel.
There’s something powerful about getting your hands in the soil, walking through the fields, spotting wildlife, sharing food and simply having space to breathe.
Time together on the land
During the main growing season, groups will have the chance to get involved with practical growing activities – tending crops, harvesting vegetables and then sitting down together to enjoy a shared meal made with food from the Farm.
In autumn and winter, the focus will turn towards the wildlife that makes the Farm its home. Groups will help care for our hedgerows and create and look after habitats for insects, birds and other wildlife.
These activities are a great way of bringing people together to learn, chat, try something new and spend time together.
“A sense of connection and belonging”
We’ve already seen what these visits can mean for people through our work with Aidbox Community.
Margherita Sonnino Sorisio from Aidbox told us:
“Time at the farm offers a welcome opportunity to step away from these pressures, connect with the local landscape, and spend time in a safe and welcoming environment.”
She described how shared activities and meals give people the chance to build confidence, practise their English, make new friendships and feel more connected to their local community.
For families, the Farm can also be a place for children to play, explore and discover something new outside the city.
“Perhaps most importantly,” Margherita said, “visits to The Community Farm create moments of joy, connection and belonging.”
That feeling comes through in the words of people who have visited us.
One Aidbox visitor told us:
“I attended farm trips, my heart was wide, I felt welcome, I felt like I am touring, and it was nice being out of the hotel and out of Redcliffe seeing a different environment.”
Another visitor spoke about the impact the day had on their children:
“Straight away I felt happy. [...] It inspired all our children, made them creative, learn to work as a team, touch the real life and value of nature.”
And from Missing Link, one visitor summed up their experience:
“The wellbeing farm really helped me feel I belonged. It gave me confidence and for the first time in a long time I felt I could be myself.”
A warm welcome for everyone
We’re incredibly grateful to The National Lottery Community Fund for making these visits possible.
For us, this project is about much more than a day out in the countryside. It’s about creating a welcoming space where people can feel connected – to nature, to food, to other people and to themselves.
We’re looking forward to welcoming many new faces to the Farm, getting our hands dirty together, sharing food, learning from one another and making space for a little bit of joy along the way.
Because everyone should have the chance to experience the simple pleasures of being outside, connecting with the natural world and feeling that they belong.
