Food Justice

Transforming young lives through food and nature

By Nicola Deschamps

Nicola Deschamps

Nicola Deschamps shines a light on the inspiring work of Jamie’s Farm, a charity near Bath offering transformative residential programmes for vulnerable young people. It’s one of several projects in the area, alongside initiatives like community allotments, nutrition workshops, and support for local producers, that demonstrate the power of food and growing to bring about positive change.

Bristol has a proud tradition of promoting and adopting a holistic approach to its food system. The nearby city of Bath also hosts a vibrant community of food projects and initiatives worth exploring and getting involved in. 

Bath Area Growers supports various community projects, from collective allotments and market gardens to therapeutic horticulture and wildlife projects that encourage nature regeneration in and around the city. Across Bath and North East Somerset, MIND’s Food for Thought provides nutrition courses and workshops, allowing participants to try new foods and develop skills in a friendly environment. Transition Bath aims to help local initiatives find solutions to climate and environmental challenges in Bath and nearby areas, from community growing, foraging and preserving to supporting local producers. 

CropDrop coordinates the redistribution of produce grown on local allotments by community growers. For people keen to improve their cooking skills, Cook It is a free five-week course for families to learn how to make healthy, low-cost meals. Bath food and growing cooperatives aim to provide affordable, nutritious food to the local community, support the food economy, and promote good land stewardship. For people in crisis, Bath Foodbank provide emergency food parcels to individuals and families. 

Based at Hill House Farm in neighbouring Box, Wiltshire, is the charity Jamie’s Farm. Its philosophy is grounded in the belief that every young person has innate potential, irrespective of background or life experiences. Its five-day residential and follow-up programmes deliver essential life skills to children aged 11 to 16. To date, the charity has supported over 16,000 children, offering respite to disadvantaged or vulnerable young people at risk of exclusion from school, who require support in building their self-esteem, or have experienced bereavement, trauma or face challenging family situations. Schools contact Jamie’s Farm to organise visits for their pupils. Schools and charities such as Bertha Earth help fund these farm trips. 

Food plays a vital role in the residency programme at Hill House Farm. Food-focused activities include gardening, food production, food preparation, and cooking sessions, which take place in the farm’s kitchen garden and timber-framed outdoor kitchen. Every day, the residents prepare their breakfast, lunch, and dinner from scratch, with much of the food sourced from the garden. A key aspect of this experience is helping children better understand the importance of good food to their physical and mental health. 

Garden and kitchen specialist Janine Stevenson encourages children to sow, harvest, and care for plants while sampling new foods, learning to use kitchen equipment safely, and cooking and eating meals together. The young residents leave with a sense of achievement, greater self-awareness, and feeling part of something worthwhile. 

“I’d like to keep on cooking to help my parents around the house and stuff, cos I think I’ve learnt quite a lot of cooking skills, and I could help my mum in the kitchen cooking dinner.”

Young person

The programme benefits the children and their teachers. It helps teachers see students in a new context and promotes a better understanding. School feedback shows improvements in student attendance, punctuality, and behaviour. The programme also guides parents in supporting their children’s successes. The statistics speak for themselves showing improvements across the board:

  • 61% report better behaviour (2022–23)
  • 64% report better wellbeing (2022–23)
  • 65% report better relationships (2022–23)
  • 89% of visiting staff felt the visit improved their practice (2022–23)

Alongside the residency programmes, Hill House Farm is also offering young people a variety of activities, such as cooking, craft, and nature walks on Saturdays for small groups from organisations and schools – for more information, contact katiemorris@jamiesfarm.org.uk. Besides Hill House Farm, the residency programme provided by Jamie’s Farm is offered at six other farms across the country. Jamie’s Farm welcomes donations to help support its residency programmes. To learn about voluntary opportunities, contact fundraising@jamiesfarm.org.uk.

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Nicola Deschamps is a registered nutritionist, author, and editor: targeteditorial.co.uk.

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