Tuppenny Barn is an organic smallholding and charity passionate about delivering educational opportunities for children, young people and the wider community in our outdoor classroom. Working with horticulture we help foster physical health and mental wellbeing through our education and green therapy programmes. With a focus on supporting those facing disadvantage in our community, all activities at Tuppenny Barn are delivered in line with our ethos of sustainability – we value having a positive impact on our local and wider environment.
Our Children’s Wellbeing programmes provide children and young people who are suffering from anxiety, mental health support needs, those who are young carers and/or have complex home situations, with opportunities to engage in interactive activities delivered in our outdoor classroom. With a focus on emotional wellbeing, the project creates a safe space for children to think about, and focus on themselves. They have the opportunity to engage with horticulture and wildlife through activities such as cooking, crafting, drawing, planting and cropping away from any pressures in their home life.
We know young people continue to struggle with mental health, and support services are stretched with unprecedented waiting lists. We work with children and young people to help them understand mental wellness, identify triggers and coping mechanisms that work for them. A grant from The Pixel Fund means we can continue to deliver our sessions for children and young people, incorporating feedback and learning from this year. We will include more activities the children ask for, such as cooking, baking and art, whilst also building in more space for mindfulness activities for them to stop and reflect. Regular attendance remains an important measure. Building engagement and participation amongst children and young people is a significant part in building confidence and self-esteem. We know from our conversations with schools that regular school attendance remains a challenge. Increased numbers of children are refusing to go to school due to anxiety and mental ill health. This is a problem reflected in schools nationally with one in five students persistently absent from school. We have seen firsthand that encouraging children who are struggling with school to regularly attend our sessions has had a positive impact on their mental health and school attendance levels.
Thank you to The Pixel Fund for supporting our Children’s Wellbeing Programmes and enabling us to provide opportunities for children and young people at a crucial time in their lives.
