Teachers and group leaders are responsible for children and young people throughout their stay on the farm. Our expert staff team are on hand to deliver sessions and create a welcoming, safe environment for our farm visitors. All our farm staff, along with any staff members who interact with children as part of their office roles, have Enhanced DBS checks in place.

Safety on the farms is a top priority for us here at Farms for City Children. You will be provided with detailed information about this before the visit. We have well-practiced safety processes and our farm teams will make sure that everyone knows how to follow them. All our visitors are provided with protective outerwear for their time around the farm. Everyone soon gets used to the routine of being on the farm and it becomes part of the fun!

Hygiene is also very important to us. Our farms are divided into two clear areas – farm and house. We have a strict process in place so all protective outerwear, headwear and footwear that has been worn in the farm area is not brought into the house area. Children also carefully wash their hands after every farm session, before they enter the house area.

You can help get ready for your visit to the farm by practicing thorough handwashing at home.

Your teachers and group leaders will provide you with a list of things you need for the farm ahead of your visit. The main things are:

• Wellies with a tall calf section and grips on the soles. It’s helpful if these are easy to take on and off.
• Clean slippers, sliders or crocs to wear inside the farm houses.
• Trainers to travel in and play in the farm house gardens.
• Enough clothing for a week on the farm, whatever the weather!
• A towel.

You child should be able to carry their bag or suitcase yourself and make sure everything they bring is labelled.

We provide waterproofs and cotton overalls to wear on the farm.

We serve three tasty, nutritious meals a day, all cooked on the farm. Our kitchen teams are very experienced in preparing dishes that meet medical and religious dietary needs, for example ensuring Halal and Haram food are not mixed. 

Your teachers or group leaders will ask you for this information in advance of the visit, so our kitchen teams can plan meals. If you / your child has allergies or dietary requirements, please make sure that your school has up to date information about this at least two weeks before your visit and that your child understands what these requirements are.

Our farm houses have single sex dormitories with cosy bunk beds. Freshly laundered bedding is provided and shower rooms are either ensuite or close to dormitories.

We want everyone who visits us to have the best possible experience during their week on the farm. Here are some of the following ways our farm teams can help:

• Providing teachers and lead adults with videos and photos to introduce the environment.
• Checking in with teachers and lead adults to address any concerns ahead of your visit.
• Checking in with lead adults to understand specific needs on arrival.
• Displaying visual information so routines and menus are clear.
• Group sizes are small and tasks are adaptable – there is no pressure!
• Safe spaces, breakout rooms and quiet areas for those who need them.

Generally, we are not open to the public, almost all of our visits are arranged directly with schools and community groups. The exceptions to this are our Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award weeks.

Our farms do have open days and events during the year where you can visit. Keep an eye on our social media and this website for more information about them.

Yes! Farms for City Children is a charity and we raise money to cover at least half of the cost of every school or community group visit. We appreciate every bit of support we can get to do this, so if you want to help us fundraise or make a donation, no matter how small, visit our fundraising pages to find out more.

As a charity,  it’s important for us to show people the work that we do and the impact that it has on children’s lives. One of the most effective ways for us to do this is through the use of visual media such a photographs and videos. We will only use photographs and videos of children and young people with the consent of their parents or carers.

Your school or group will provide you with a link to a short online or paper form ahead of your visit so we can get this. You are under no obligation to give consent and it will not affect your child’s visit if you don’t. If you are willing to provide consent, we ask that you discuss this with your child before submitting the form, to ensure they are happy with your decision.

Identifiable information in photographs and videos will be kept to a minimum and no child will be named. The name of the school may be mentioned but only if necessary.

Consent to use images/video can be withdrawn at any time by emailing marketing@farmsforcitychildren.org Please provide the child’s school name, date of their visit and the farm they visited. If you do withdraw consent, whilst every effort will be made to withdraw your child’s image from use, it may not be possible to remove all instances that have already been published.