Wow, what an adventure! Crossing the one-mile long Severn Bridge into Wales was a thrilling start to our trip.
The kids were buzzing with excitement, and we’re not surprised. Imagine having stunning, dramatic scenery right outside your window! The views were spectacular, but the real challenge came mid-week when we scaled the mighty Kirrid, 500m above sea level, on our mid-week hike. Not for the faint-hearted!
Jamie’s Farm, situated just outside Monmouth, was our home for the week. With lambs skittering past and bumping into us, we got as adept as them at holding our footing on the steep hills. The daily food rounds, not for the faint-hearted, were met with laughter and a lot of hungry animals! We fed Heraclitus and Poppy the pigs, groomed the horses Zeta, Priya, and Roy, and collected eggs from the very tame chickens. Oh, and imagine our joy when Polly the pregnant cow gave birth to her baby calf! What a special moment to share.
With a competitive spirit, 16 hungry people were fed each night, with teams of three vying for the coveted title of “master chef.” It was a sell-out success!
But what most impressed the Kids on Track volunteer team was Jamie’s Farm’s thoughtful approach to mental and emotional health. Wow! This was evidenced from the pre-visit survey, demonstrated through the daily check-in sessions and the one-to-one meetings with the child psychologist and will continue in the follow-up wellbeing visit to the children and the post-visit report from Jamie’s Farm. It was an amazing visit and we will definitely be back! Thank you to the wonderful team at Jamie’s Farm for all your hard work and for choosing us to share in your mission. Hope this is the start of many more visits!
