I am so lucky to live here just outside Bath surrounded by the beautiful countryside, Jamie's Farm gives this experience to children and families who really need it. 

The whole purpose of the farm ( and it is a working farm - you can buy their meat at our local butcher) is to offer intensive programmes of 'family farm and therapy' sessions for 11-16s at risk from exclusion from school. 

A frightening statistic is that 60% of UK prison inmates were excluded from school. 

Groups of 12 are given real farm jobs in a 5 day residential stay designed to improve self esteem, school engagement, behaviour and to change existing negative patterns of thinking. 

Through working with the animals and the therapists the children have to concentrate, problem solve, get stuck in and learn to face situations and not give up. 

When the children arrive all mobile and electrical devices are taken away. They aren't allowed sugar and have to cook and eat fresh food from the farm and locally grown. 

Jamie said  'when the children arrive they all have  tough exteriors but through hard work and fresh air they leave softened. They go away at the end of the 5 days with hugely increased self esteem, belief in themselves and what they can achieve both at school, home and in their lives ahead. 

Only 1/3 of the cost for the weekly therapy sessions is covered by the children's local authorities, so the remaining has to be found through the profits from the working farm, fundraising, corporate days and generous individual donations. 

So please sponsor me and give as generously as you can. 

Thank you 

Emma