East Surrey Care Farm Project
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We know that spending time outdoors is good for us. Our mental health and wellbeing is linked to green spaces, open air and the natural environment. Care farming is a brilliant way for people to connect with nature and other people, especially those that might be isolated.
The Surrey Hills Society, in partnership with the Surrey Hills National Landscape and Growing Health Together have been awarded a grant to initiate a pilot of nature-based health interventions on farms in East Surrey. These can support the mental health of people from all ages and backgrounds with Surrey Heartlands’ priority communities as the focus. The priority area is focused on prevention, removing barriers, and supporting people to become proactive in improving their emotional health and wellbeing.
Care farms use farming and nature to benefit people, including improving mental health and wellbeing. A care farm is a calming environment, away from the pressures of everyday life. Care farming can help to release anxiety or stress and give people space to be themselves.
Through farming-related activity, such as animal care, mechanics or horticulture, people have the opportunity to participate in a meaningful way.
Get in touch at Katie4SurreyHills@gmail.com
Care farming is the use of farming practices for the stated purpose of providing or promoting healing, mental health, social, or educational care services.
EARLY INTERVENTION: Young people and adults with mental illness of mild to medium severity in the key neighbourhoods of:
Merstham
Redhill
Hurst Green
Horley
PREVENTION: Young people and adults with, or at risk of, mental health issues in the following priority populations, wherever they live in East Surrey:
( Age 10 – 25 )
Carers and young carers
Children / young people with additional needs and disabilities
Adults with learning disabilities and/or autism
Black and Minority Ethnic groups
Refugees
- Bespoke farm visits created to offer personalised support.
- A block of 3 visits for around 3 hours long.
- Children and young adults.
- Supported environment to interact with a working farm environment.
- Project is based in the East of surrey.
To find out more about the project and to apply to take part, please email:
Growing Health Together invites people living and working in communities across East Surrey to collaborate, in order to co-create conditions in which everyone’s health and wellbeing can flourish.
This project was funded with thanks to the Surrey County Council Mental Health Investment Fund ((MHIF). This is a Surrey wide, all age, resource to enable the delivery of the outcomes in Priority Two of the Health and Wellbeing Strategy. This priority area is focused on prevention, removing barriers, and supporting people to become proactive in improving their emotional health and wellbeing.
