Paddington Farm Trust provides opportunities for young people from disadvantaged urban areas to experience rural life. Youth groups stay in our converted farmhouse, or sometimes camp in our meadows and orchards, and get involved in the day-to-day life of the farm.
Depending on the time of year, they might help with lambing, apple picking and juicing, vegetable planting, weeding or hay making, and of course there are always animals to be fed and cared for.
For many of these young people, a trip to Paddington Farm is the first time they have ever patted a horse, made a fire, seen the starry night skies or eaten fruit straight from the tree.
These residentials have a huge impact on participants, helping to develop greater confidence, resilience, communication and team working skills, as well as helping them to develop a love of nature and a greater understanding of sustainability.
Many youth groups come back year after year, but we are always happy to hear from youth leaders who are interested in bringing a new group to experience the farm.
One of our regular youth groups is Paddington Arts, which helps young people in and around Paddington to develop life skills and leadership abilities through creative activities. Here’s a video they made of their experiences at Paddington Farm:
We welcome local youth groups to visit the farm and take part in seasonal activities. We also regularly host work experience and DofE placements, plus scouts and guides camping trips, school holiday activities, rural craft days and other events for families and the local community.
If you are a group leader and would like to find out about bringing your group to Paddington Farm, please contact us.
Each summer we also host a very popular Family Festival, run in partnership with local arts education charity Children’s World. This inclusive event includes performances, music, workshop and family activities, and our subsidised ticket policy mean it is accessible and affordable to all.