Jamie’s Farm

Jamie’s Farm acts as a catalyst for change, enabling disadvantaged young people, primarily aged 11-16 and at risk of social and academic exclusion, to thrive, and improving the way in which they are engaged in education. We do this through a unique weeklong residential experience, whereby small groups of young people and their staff are involved with the daily running of our livestock farms in a positively modelled family environment without technology, and follow-up programme. We provide 1:1 and group sessions to support young people to develop new positive patterns and work in partnership with schools and local authorities to increase their ability to reach their potential long term.

Ruth Youth – Head of Farm, Jamie’s Farm Hereford

Ruth grew up in London and graduated in English at Birmingham University. In 1999 she started working at the Hay Festival of Literature and the Arts and initiated the Festival’s programme for families and young people, which is still running today under the banner Hay Days.

Inspired by her observation of the profound relationships that could be formed when adults and young people shared stories, Ruth trained as a teacher in 2008 and worked as a secondary school English teacher for a number of years. In 2014, Ruth became the Vice-Principal at the Steiner Academy Hereford – a state-funded school striving to hold to an ethos which nurtures and celebrates the child whilst ensuring an education which meets the demands of the 21st century. It is Ruth’s belief that self-esteem is key to success, and interactions with and within nature encourage self-esteem, which has finally brought her to Jamie’s Farm. Ruth started as Head of Farm in Monmouth and helped set up of our third site before taking a sidestep and joining our Hereford team in early 2019 to be closer to home.

Beth Walker – Therapy Coordinator, Jamie’s Farm Monmouth

Beth graduated from Cardiff University with a degree in Occupational Therapy. She has since completed a postgraduate certificate in Sensory Integration, trained as a Sleep Practitioner and completed a certificate in Counselling. Beth has worked as a therapist in schools with children and young people with autism and language and communication difficulties, and most recently within a children and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) supporting children with learning disabilities and behaviours that challenge.

As Therapy Coordinator, Beth leads group meetings and has personalised therapeutic conversations with all young people who visit the farm, in order to help them piece together pathways for their future success on returning to school.

Kathryn Angelini – Deputy Head Teacher of Hillingdon Virtual SchoolKathryn graduated from Leeds University, studying History, in 2006 and went on to gain her PGCS in secondary education. After a number of years working in mainstream settings Kathryn moved into Virtual School settings. It was here that she felt fully able to support some of the most vulnerable young people in education. Working within a virtual school has given Kathryn an excellent understanding of attachment and trauma. She is part-way through a Masters in Attachement and all her work within Hillingdon supports it to be a trauma-informed setting.