Jamie's Farm
Jamie’s Farm is a national charity whose inaugural farm and head office is based just a few miles from our Cotswolds studio. It was set up by Jamie Feilden, a friend of our creative founder Emma Sims-Hilditch, to support young people facing challenges, to thrive. They do this through a unique five-day residential with rigorous follow-up programme. Small groups of young people are immersed into farm life at one of their rural livestock farms, tackling real jobs with tangible outcomes, within a supportive family environment. The programme acts as a catalyst for change, allowing young people to flourish academically, socially and emotionally during their school years and beyond.
The idea was formed while Jamie was teaching in a comprehensive school in Croydon; he was part of the first cohort of the Teach First initiative in the early 2000s. Searching for ways to support and engage his students, he looked back on his upbringing on a farm and also the experience of his mother, a psychotherapist, and saw an opportunity to combine the two. In 2005, the first group of secondary school children from Croydon travelled to his family farm, which lies just outside Bath.
Today, Jamie’s Farm has grown to support young people out of six farms around the country, including a city farm in London. Since the charity began, Jamie’s Farm has seen a drastic uplift in visiting young people’s mental wellbeing as well as confidence and self-esteem.
How Sims Hilditch Help
As a team, Sims Hilditch has supported their work in a number of ways. In the summer of 2023, the studio spent an away day helping out at the main farm so that everyone could better understand their unique approach. Our day at Jamie’s Farm Bath included gardening, creating a nature pond and hay bailing, all of which will benefit those who visit. As well as spending time with the farm’s team and building a stronger relationship with the charity.
Alongside this, we are using our design expertise to provide spatial planning and design schemes for Lower Shockerwick Farm, the charity’s 7th farm, just outside of Bath that will offer their transformational programme to a further 450 young people annually. The work being done meets the charity’s needs, and where suitable, we’re also donating pieces they need to furnish the new farm.
To continue showing our support towards Jamie’s Farm, in September 2024 a number of the team completed the Chilterns Challenge, a 25-kilometre route across rolling hills around Henley-on-Thames. The ultimate aim of this was to raise as much money as possible for this important cause.
Every donation helped motivate the team to reach the final finish line, and your generosity directly impacts the lives of vulnerable children in this country - we are hugely grateful for the support in exceeding our fundraising goal by over 50%.
