Woodside Rural Care

Woodside provides training and work experience in a safe, supportive and caring environment with skilled professionals to assess and respond to individual needs.

Woodside is a 6 acre small holding just south of Cambridge with extensive gardens, a small wood and grass paddocks. We have facilities for growing vegetables and intend to specialise in the production of herbs and related products and the care of livestock. Woodside is home to small groups of rare breed livestock including chickens, pigs, sheep and cows. Facilities include a greenhouse and poly tunnel, barns and stables. A converted farm building provides basic facilities and an opportunity to expand into other exciting projects in the arts and the production of herb products as well as the option to offer products for sale at the farm gate.

Activities are geared to personal needs and capabilities but may extend from collecting eggs, harvesting herbs, building fencing, clearing woodland, feeding the pigs to packaging and processing food or extending skills in our arts facility and photography. We are aware that mental and physical fatigue can be a common problem particularly for those that have suffered a neurological event, so we are putting aside a quiet area where we can offer anxiety management and relaxation sessions as part of the therapeutic program.

There is increasing evidence of the benefits of teaching, rehabilitation or just exposure to a rural environment rich in contact with animals and with the process of growing. Those that suffer from many of lifes challenges from mental health problems to physical limitations and injuries can find their life enhanced, their skills improved and their feeling of well being improved. (Beyond toxicity Human health and the natural environment American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2009, Volume 20, Issue 3, Pages 234-240 H.Frumkin) A review of references to horticultural therapy conducted by a Swedish group concluded that its use in rehabilitation following brain damage in particular resulted in improvements in emotional, cognitive and/or sensory motor function and increased social participation, health, well-being and life satisfaction. (Horticultural therapy: the ‘healing garden’ and gardening in rehabilitation measures at Danderyd hospital rehabilitation clinic, Sweden”, Developmental Neurorehabilitation 2004, Vol. 7, No. 4, Pages 245-260 Ingrid Söderback, Marianne Söderström and Elisabeth Schälander

The University of Essex surveyed 7 care farms providing further data on psychological health and well-being effects on participants. The majority of participants in this study were male (76%) and ages range from 16 to 65. The questionnaires used to collect this data included internationally recognised, standardised tools, which measured the participants’ level of self–esteem (RSA) and mood (POMS).

• 64% of participants saw an improvement in their self-esteem after spending time on the care farm.
• 94% experienced a reduction in feelings of anger after their time on a care farm.
• 78% of participants experienced a reduction in their feelings of confusion.
• 70% of participants experienced a reduction in their feelings of depression.
• 61% of people saw a reduction in their feelings of fatigue after time spent on care farm.
• 74% experienced a reduction in feelings of tension after spending time on the care farms.
• 70% saw an increase in vigour levels. So even though they had been working on the farm for several hours, participants felt less fatigued and more active and energetic.
• 88% experienced improvements in their overall mood.

University of Essex, 2008, Care farming in the UK

Woodside also benefits from an association with Rural Care at Church Farm

http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&rlz=1W1IBMA_en&q=churchfarmardeley&btnG=Search&meta=&aq=f&oq=#

This is an enterprise established by Ann de Bock in 2009 and which has already achieved great success, one of its co-farmers is now engaged in formal employment on the farm, another has improved so much they have moved onto a more independent life. All co-farmers are achieving a much greater level of productivity than initially anticipated and are adding great value to Traditional Food and Farming and Agrarian Renaissance at Church Farm. The head of Learning Disabilities team for Stevenage/ North Herts described Ann’s services as ‘excellent’ and noted that some co- farmers have made ‘tremendous improvements to their mental health’.  The venture has attracted the attention of North Herts College which is now securing places for some of their more challenged and challenging students. The enterprise is also cash positive, this within six months of initiation.

Woodside is a smaller enterprise than Church Farm but it is creating some of the same positive features and is recruiting expertise to complement its resources, both groups will share knowledge and experience gained.

Our staff

We link the needs and aspirations of our co-farmers to the skills of our staff, we can provide a spectrum of expertise and support from a knowledge base of social services, teaching, occupational therapy and work with individuals with complex needs in association with physical, mental health and neurological impairments.  Woodside’s approach is focussed on the use of collaborative goal setting and the utilisation of horticultural and agricultural therapy in the rehabilitation or enhancement of the personal skills of challenged individuals.

Health and Safety

We have public and employer’s liability insurance; we are constantly working to ensure that activities are risk assessed and that our policies and procedures including confidentiality, equal opportunities, child and vulnerable adult protection are up to date.  We undertake enhanced Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) checks on our staff.