With our therapeutic approach built on the healing power of nature, we are strongly committed to helping to protect and restore the natural environment.
The need for us all to adopt a more sustainable way of life has never been greater. Creating strong nature connections and focussing on healthy, locally produced food improves mental and physical health, helps wildlife and reduces the impact of climate change.
Managing land sustainably
Our land-based programme has been developed to maximise the therapeutic potential of nature to help heal and restore our children and families.
We encourage children and families to have a gentle reconnection with the natural world and understand the value of nature for continued health and happiness. Our land and animals are managed without chemical inputs and with the minimum of destruction by mechanical devices.
We have planted nearly 4,000 trees and have numerous bird boxes, log piles and dense shrubby areas as habitats for wildlife. Wildflowers are abundant and hedgerows groan with wild fruit and berries in the autumn.
Reducing carbon emissions
Staff are trained to minimise energy use and encouraged to travel sustainably.
We grow much of our food and source the remainder locally where possible, benefitting from donations from Fareshare. We serve vegetarian food, preparing most meals from scratch and minimising food waste, and develop recipes for families and children to enjoy at home even if budget is very tight.
We have a complex recycling regime, turning most of our organic waste into chicken feed or compost which is used on the land including from our composting toilet! Most of our furniture and equipment is second-hand and craftwork is created using natural materials from the farm. Single-use plastics are avoided as far as possible.
We deploy ethical sourcing in all our purchasing. This can lead to higher costs, but we believe this to be worth doing for the wider societal and environmental benefits.
