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Brambles Buddies is a series of regular work based activities that are designed to give the participants an interesting variety of tasks and fun throughout the year.

Brambles Buddies Stages

There are 5 stages which gradually increase in levels of expertise. Clients work at their own pace, gaining practical hands-on experience which develops their skills and builds confidence. Every Buddies Stage has a structured schedule which runs for 13 weeks.  Activities relate to the natural farming events of the season, of course things may vary depending on the weather and other events. Participants can remain at any stage as long as they wish, and they can move on when they feel ready, and when we, and their carers feel it is appropriate to do so.

Brambles Buddy Rewards

Stage 1

A day in the life of caring for animals and assisting with their daily feeding and grooming.  Petting small animals gives a tremendous benefit, and we encourage people to take time to interact with them. Some people like to sow seeds and water plants.

Stage 2

A day in the life on the farm in more detail and structure. Sharing the role of feeding and caring for the animals and their environment. Food recognition for individual animals. Taking goats and pigs for walks. Horticultural maintenance, digging beds and potting out plants.

Stage 3

Responsibility for specific animals or parts of the farm, sharing tasks in groups and fulfilling their roles. Using basic skills for record keeping. eg Egg collecting and counting, recording the results of eggs laid on a daily basis. Working in a team of people to build confidence. More knowledge of the horticultural seasons and the right time to perform tasks.

Stage 4

Learning about farm machinery and Health & Safety rules. In depth care for animals such as shearing, foot trimming, vaccinations and worming.  Basic woodwork projects. Horticulture – Plant care and nurture, harvesting fruit & vegetables. Creating automatic watering systems.

Stage 5

More involvement with animal medical care, show preparation and animal training, such as halter training for Goats, and Pig behaviour training. More complex farm projects such as fencing and drainage. Horticultural larger projects, composting, plant propagation, specific responsibility for an area of the farm.

These are rewards like certificates, badges and T-shirts, which are based on the outcomes that clients have achieved, and gives them something to feel proud that they have earned.

Support Needs

The Brambles Buddies programme is based on small groups of people with similar needs and interests, working together. Client’s requirements for personal 1:1 support will, of course, depend on individual situations. We discuss this with clients and carers before the first visit, to ensure that clients are as comfortable and safe as possible.

How each day works

Usually clients arrive between 9:30 and 10:00am and finish either at lunchtime or between 3:30 and 4:30pm. We all get together, set the scene for the day, and ask if anyone has any special requests. Each normal daily routine task usually lasts ½ - 1 hour, after which we take a rest and perhaps have a drink, and then move on to the next job. If clients stay for the whole day they bring a picnic lunch with them. We have sets of jobs that must to be done, no matter what the weather, like feeding and giving water to the animals. Other activities can be chosen by the group for inside or outside depending on the weather and things that need to be done on the day.

What next

We recommend that you come to see us for an initial visit.  We will show you around the farm, introduce you to the animals and talk about the activities that happen here. We’d expect the first visit to take about 1½ hours. Beware, once you’re here you’ll love it and want to come again, everyone else does.