Testimonials

We had a great feedback session to the Church last Sunday and all the young people said publicly what we learnt on the journey home that they had really enjoyed their time at Shallowford. Thank you so much for your excellent leadership of all the activities, the numerous and effective demonstrations of God’s wonderful creation, your care and your love for everyone. Many thanks to Serena for the excellent food.

Hi

I’m Craig Sullivan. I have been coming to East Shallowford Farm since I was born and when I was in my mother’s belly.

East Shallowford farm is a great place in Devon where you can feed the animals and you can get away from your troubles back home and just have fun. It’s a great place for friends to re-unite and for people to make new friends.

People that come to the farm are always welcomed with open arms. People at the farm are not considered friends, it’s more like family. When you are here you’re always welcome to come in and talk to the volunteers or workers about your problems. When you say stuff at the farm people will keep it at the farm unless told you can take it away from the farm.

It is great. There are 3 pigs at the moment, 6 ducks, 3 geese, 16 chickens, 2 cockerel, 1 ram, about 50 sheep, 1 dog named Timber, 2 cats, 2 ponies, 1 horse and 12 cows. The animals are always friendly, fun to stroke, take pictures with and be around. They will never hurt you unless you stand behind a cow, horse or pony! The animals are very excellently taken care of to the best of their abilities.

Just wanted to let you all know that the farm is just an excellent and perfect place for children adults, elderly, boys, girls, women, men and anyone else to be here and you can get away from everything you are worried about back where you’re from.

Thank you for listening and have a good day

I can’t tell you how much I loved coming to the farm this year! I loved every minute of it! Thank you for the incredible food Serena and all the “walks and talks” Debbie! ….. For me I loved the day when we just sat and stared at the sky! For a Londoner we don’t do that enough and you reminded me of the importance of resting on Gods beautiful creation.

A window into a week at the farm…

 Thursday
There have been few shadows on our day at the farm. In some ways pure joy. Introducing young people to animals and the greatness of the natural world was once again an enriching thing. The chickens wandering with freedom and without fear, the cockerel strutting his handsome self; the three ducklings living in the protective darkness of a shed; the strident geese sitting hopelessly but hopefully on their eggs and shouting at whoever passes or looks in; the two litters of piglets, twenty in total who wriggle and race, and squeal and hide in noisy joy around and away from their more taciturn mothers. In the same field are two rams, one who has squatted at the farm for several months, and who none of the farmers have reported missing. He came in the autumn, and maybe he will father some lambs for next spring. There is a new puppy in the house, Timber, a flat-coated retriever, adored by all, except less surely by the two cats, now named Lost and Found; Lost because she always hides away from crowds, and Found because he is always reappearing after some adventure, self-composed and assured, and ginger.

Then there are the bigger animals. Penny and Nettie were fetched from the fields to meet the horse dentist and have their overgrown teeth filed down. Later in the day a cow had lost its calf, and a new one bought in to suckle; but mother appeared to reject it. The plan was to bring the young one down in the tractor bucket to feed; but the cow wasn’t happy and the calf escaped capture. So they were both cajoled down to the sheds. The cow was installed in a “crush” while feeding on nuts, and calf put to the teats, hungrily; but still the mother kicked and shrugged off. Give it a couple of days like this, …..

Friday
Today was a photography day. Debbie from East Shallowford led the young people out around the farm, and along by the river, and while Debbie led the group to pause and watch with interest nature at work, Andrew encouraged the photography, to capture natural images, animals, interesting shapes. It was a very productive day, which was followed up by endless checking the pictures on the Mac in the farmhouse and selecting the best; so that each person ended up with a collection of prints and preparing pictures for a Providence House display.
In the evening as we looked again at a slide show of pictures, we reflected on the gladness of the natural world, and the delicacy of design and shape.

Saturday
Walk from Mel Tor along Doctor Blackalls Drive above the Dart valley on a glorious summer’s day with the birds singing, skylarks piping, a flock of gulls flapping above the gorge.

Looking back this was an enriching experience for each of these young people. All of them are keen to return and soon. Antony may return as early as next week to help with the preparations for the Shallowford country fair. Each has individual needs and in their different ways they all found their level.

Some Outcomes

I find it astonishing that in a short space of time the farm can become such a special place for people, and over repeated visits it can take on a sense of home and where you belong. In no small measure this is down to East Shallowford staff, following on from the work of Elizabeth Braund and Rosemary Bird, but developing in their own style and character. The slogan for Providence House 50th Anniversary was ‘ Part of our Lives’ . This could equally be said of Shallowford, and of course has been.

A Reference in support of the work at Shallowford Farm

… East Shallowford Farm is glimpsed down in the distance – a seemingly secret, special place.  There were geese, ducks, chicken, Gloucester Old Spot sows and two litters of piglets…… just wonderful to see and experience at close-hand.  They have horses, sheep and lambs, cows and calves and the marshy adjacent land provides the habitat for endangered butterflies and other creatures. Each year the crops are sown and grown and children see first-hand, vegetables which they have only ever seen before on the shop-shelves. Imagine the impact for children from cities who have never seen any of this in ‘reality’? Overwhelming.  This is education. 

As human beings, we take many things for granted and have become desensitised by over-exposure in the media – to constant, superficial and sensationalised information about our world.  Strangely, this ‘improved’ communication has actually had the reverse effect and has actually decreased the connection we have with our planet…….the wonders of the natural world are being overshadowed by the constant bombardment of our senses, by ‘artificial wonders’.  This is deprivation. 

East Shallowford Farm offers deprived children the opportunity to experience the natural world firsthand.  The experience includes education – to learn about the animals they meet, the facts about farming and how their food is produced. Statistics on the effect of children’s health and wellbeing from access to fresh air, exercise and interaction with the natural world is undenied. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/childrens-visits-to-natural-environments-new-evidence 

 East Shallowford Farm is providing city children with the chance to a better life – mentally and physically.  The total experience of their stay at the farm, together with the specialist team, provides these children with a broader, tangible experience of the planet they inhabit.  See the pictures when they arrive – compare them with pictures when they are leaving – they could be different children; they’re not – they are children with a restored spirit of optimism. 

 East Shallowford Farm provides city children with a brighter future better equipped for life!!  

 This is a fact.

 Yours faithfully

 Betty Hale

 www.bettyhale.com

Shallowford for me? What does it do to me internally, mentally?

• Shallowford is the home that I do not have. It’s the solid foundation that I believe we all need.
• The simplicity of life and ways of the farm are very important for the development of the man I am today.
• The farm gives a very important rest bite from the city life
• My children have all been brought up in and around the farm over the years. I believe it has had a big impact on them. They will all hold the memories for years to come, long after the visits have been and gone
• I find that after being at the farm I have the ability to cope with city life.
• The farm is a unique educational place – food, environment, lifestyle, communication, family, relationships

• In Londonthere is constant noise from planes, roads, people, sirens…
• With my boys the impact of X-box, TV and WiFi limits our conversations, makes the boys more introverted, not engaging and we lose the art of conversations
• At the farmI enjoy the ambience, the peacefulness
• I feel sedated with the clean air, surrounding environment, the tranquillity, with no TV/WiFi
• We interact with each other, have more conversations and discussions, listening and helps better interpersonal skills. It stimulates the mind and promotes mental wellbeing.
• Its back to basics, no pollution, around the animals
• Shallowford promotes better mental wellbeing and mental health away from the constant noise of London.
• There we understand where our food comes from, questions our diet and promotes healthier eating
• When we return to LondonI notice the smell, the particle pollution
• I become much more aware of my environment
• I am more aware of what I eat and where it comes from
• I am more concerned about my impact on the environment, supporting green campaigns, pedestrianisation,
• I am more aware of what a positive environment could be
• I am seeking opportunities to join in political hustings and ask questions
• I am now fighting for a greater awareness of mindfulness and positive impacts on mental wellbeing
• I am now more passionate because I have experienced an alternative environment.

• Over 30 years I have been bringing young people and adults from inner city London to the totally rural environment of Est Shallowford Farm
• Many, including the adults, have never left the city. They may be slightly apprehensive the first visit but after that are the best of encouragers of others to give it a go
• Adults speak of the peace of the area, with no mobile phone reception, street lights or shops nearby as a stark contrast to the noise of the city – shouting of verbal abuse, emergency sirens, and other noisy traffic. They express their feelings of I proved mental health and general wellbeing. They constantly talk about their experiences and cat wait for the next opportunity to come. It gives them something to look forward to and a means of coping with what can be a difficult life in the meantime.
• Young people have their eyes opened to an alternative lifestyle. For some it may be to realise that milk comes from cows, eggs from chickens and bacon from pigs. They appreciate the care needed to look after the animals well; leaning about their feed, their teeth and their hooves. During lambing time they assist the farmer with caring for the new-born lambs and the ewes.
• For young people, visiting the farm can be a life changing experience. Twenty or thirty years later men and women drop into Providence House and reminisce about the farm and the difference it made to their lives, the people they met and the family that they have become part of.

• I can be at the farm and just relax. I feel my body does a detox of stress and worries
• It gives me a restful feeling of tranquillity and peace. It gives me a clearer mind
• I fell I can just be still and calm and recharge my batteries
• There is a real family welcome at the farm
• It gives me strength to deal with home/family life
• My mental wellbeing is better on return to London
• I hate the feeling on my return but I feel recharged and able to cope.
• It gives a break from the city that I otherwise wouldn’t get

• In London I spent most of my time in my room playing X-Box
• I didn’t want to talk to people, I was nervous and fearful
• I feel peaceful when I am here
• I learn where my food comes from
• I like how the locals and community interact compared to London
• I like how everyone feels welcomed and warm like a family
• I have learnt about farming
• I have had more opportunities here to talk to people, I am more confident
• Meeting and talking to people has helped build my confidence to talk to people, I have been taking them around the farm and telling them bout the animals
• It has given me greater confidence and ability to work/apply for jobs/communicate better
• I am better at applying for jobs, interviews, it has made me more employable
• I now have a job. I am more talkative. Now I have friends and go to the pub. I am confident more amongst crowds
• I have ambitions that I feel are now more achievable