Farms for City Children is delighted to share with you our Impact Report for the year 2023-2024.
What an incredible year it was for the charity as we welcomed more schools and community groups than ever before as our new Business Plan came into force with a commitment to all year round operations.
Despite the continued financial challenges across the entire third sector, Farms for City Children was busier than ever as groups of children and young people sought out an immersive residential week of muck and magic nature nurture on one of our three stunning heritage farms in Devon, Gloucestershire, and Pembrokeshire.
In term time with their school teachers, primary and secondary aged children, and young people in Further Education, enjoyed a week of nature connected wellbeing activities combined with purposeful farm tasks, working with livestock and the land to build essential and transferable life skills. Out of term time, we welcomed community youth groups, military families, a Scout group, and Duke of Edinburgh GOLD award students to name just a few of the varied beneficiaries aged 8-19 who were able to enjoy the offer in those school holiday weeks when young people are more vulnerable away from the watchful eyes of their schools.
Feedback continues to show the impact of the week on those who visit, children and adults alike, and our post visit survey shows that the effects of the week live on long after the return to home and school. Better relationships between peers and teachers, reduced sanctions and exclusions, higher levels of engagement in school, and improved academic attainment are just some of the benefits that children and young people enjoy as a direct result of their residential.
2023-24 also saw us welcome a new Ambassador for the charity, JB Gill, musician, writer, and most importantly, Farmer. We look forward to collaborating in the years ahead with JB. In June 2024, we delivered our Festival of Learning at the Worshipful Company of Butchers’ livery in central London. This fantastic event enabled us to welcome over 150 guests, alumni, and our patron, the Princess Royal, to a farm take over in the square mile where guests enjoyed a promenade experience to celebrate our partners, donors, neighbours, and of course the children, teachers, and youth workers who make up our beneficiary cohort.
Looking ahead to the period of 2024-25, we are excited by pilot projects in identified areas of extreme deprivation beyond our core geographic city areas of London, Birmingham and Manchester. This is taking the charity into rural and coastal areas where children are navigating their childhood in poverty and reduced opportunities. Our partnership work continues to flourish, and we are all hoping for positive outcomes as we start to work more frequently at post-16 with FE Colleges, providing the physical work experience needed to accredit young learners with qualifications that enable them to seek out a career in agriculture, animal care, land management, environmental studies, horticulture, and hospitality.
2024-2025 is opening with more bookings secured than in any other year, and plans afoot for marking the milestone of our 50th anniversary where we are planning a year of events to highlight the impact that the charity has had on over 100,000 young people since 1976. We hope that you enjoy reflecting on our work, and that you will continue to support Farms for City Children so that we exist for another fifty years.
