During term time, Lakeside Care Farm offers children, young people and adults with specific needs the opportunity for meaningful education and work-based experience in nature conservation, farming and horticulture, as well as Forest School activities. With highly skilled and experienced staff available on weekends and school holidays, we would like to open our gates and welcome parties to come and enjoy the animals, plants and surrounding nature reserve. 

Guide price: £150 per half day (up to 15 attendees, aged 5+).

Some of the activities available:

Animals

We have 6 rabbits, 8 guinea pigs and 2 Kune Kune pigs on site who all love attention and need feeding and grooming daily. They also benefit from environmental enrichment and there are creative and practical activities that can be tailored to individual needs if animals are an interest. 

Horticulture

We have two large polytunnels and plenty of raised beds if your party aspires to green fingers. We can offer therapeutic horticulture workshops with the opportunity to take their produce or seedling home with them, season dependent. 

Woodwork

With an onsite workshop, complete with wheelchair height workbench, there are plenty of opportunities to work with tools and wood with all abilities. As with the horticulture workshop, we aim for party guests to take their piece home, for example - a bird/bughouse. 

Forest School 

(Please note not all our staff are Forest School trained so the availability of these tasks is limited) Forest School activities are largely nature-based and can include den building, fire lighting and whittling. 

Great facilities

The site has a variety of indoor spaces including an art room with a lake view; so no matter the weather or individual sensitivities we can find a space that works for you. If requested, we can provide seating in our polytunnel for up to 20 people which looks great decorated if you wish to start/or end the day with a banquet style meal. There are on-site toilets and full kitchen facilities which parents and guardians are welcome to use for party food etc. We can also provide a fireside/bbq lunch such as hot dogs for an additional cost of £2.50 per person. 

We ask that, if you are interested, please contact [email protected] or ring 01666 860699 during office hours to discuss individual and additional needs. This helps us communicate any need for parent/carer support and plan ability-appropriate activities.