01/06/2026
Hello everyone — Farmer Jackie here 👋
After a long few years, I’m really pleased to say that Willow Haven is almost ready to reopen for the new academic year.
Some of you will remember us as Hundred River Farm. Over the years, thousands of children and families came through the farm — feeding animals, planting seeds, building dens, getting muddy, and just being outside. Many of those children are grown up now… and a few even have children of their own.
This next chapter is about making sure that space — and those kinds of experiences — are still there for the next generation.
It hasn’t been a straightforward journey. After we had to leave our old site, we’ve spent the last few years relocating, navigating planning, and slowly rebuilding everything from the ground up. There have been moments where we nearly gave up and it’s often felt like more time has been spent on computers and paperwork than on preparing the site.
In the end, we reached a compromise with the council. That means we won’t be running public events and holiday clubs on site in the same way we used to. Instead, we’re focusing on what feels most needed right now — small, private groups and alternative education placements for children and young people, particularly those who aren’t thriving in mainstream settings.
In the meantime, there’s been a huge amount of work going on behind the scenes.
We’ve rebuilt animal areas, put up fences, planted trees, and worked on access and drainage — all the things needed to make a site actually function day to day. It’s not completely there yet, but it’s real, and it’s getting there.
I’m also now joined by two wonderful co-directors, and between us we’re bringing a lot of experience, energy and care into this next phase.
At the same time, need for alternative education provision locally is only growing. With a focus on children and younger people via hands-on outdoor learning, our new site will be complementary to the care farm provision already exists in the area.
Here’s the honest part.
Because of how long everything has taken, we’ve used up the resources we had set aside to reopen properly.
So today, we’re launching a crowdfunding campaign to help us complete the final stage — making the site safe, equipped and ready to welcome young people back.
We don’t need huge amounts — just help covering the essentials to get over the line.
If Willow Haven or Hundred River Farm has meant something to you in the past, or if you believe this kind of space should exist locally, we’d really appreciate your support — whether that’s donating, sharing, or simply helping us spread the word.
Thank you for sticking with us — and for helping make sure this can continue for the next generation.
Farmer Jackie 👩🏻🌾
https://www.willowhavencarefarm.co.uk/supportus
