A Wonderful World Outdoors: a Catch-up with Amy
Summer has well and truly arrived. At the time of writing, we’re expecting another spell of hot weather, peaking on Monday with a forecast high of 33C. Keep an eye on the weather forecast and do look after yourself.
Speaking of summer, the school holidays are rapidly approaching. That makes it a perfect time to acquaint you with the latest enterprise to make South Ormsby Estate its home. The Farm School is busy making all sorts of exciting plans for our region’s young people, starting with summer holiday clubs. If you know a young person who might be at a loose end this season and would enjoy learning all about the countryside, click HERE to register your interest and READ ON to find out more.
At The Farm School, young people will get to grow through hands-on experiences that foster confidence, teamwork and resilience. Beyond the classroom, they’ll learn essential life skills, from understanding where food comes from to practising sustainability and caring for the environment. They’ll also connect with nature, build practical knowledge and develop a strong foundation for the future. We caught up with Amy Jones to hear all about it.
“I’m originally from Grimsby,” said Amy. “I now live in Belchford, just 10 minutes away from South Ormsby Estate. I’m town-born and bred, and horses took me to the countryside. I learned to ride from the age of six. When I was old enough to drive, I rode out hunt horses at Brocklesby Estate just outside Grimsby. This inspired me to work with horses and I loved being out and about on a beautiful estate. There was this whole wonderful world I never knew about.
“I worked with horses, qualified as an instructor and got comfortable in a rural setting. I love the way it makes you feel. It’s quiet, it’s peaceful, there’s no rushing about and it grounds me. There’s a strong aspect of wellbeing to it. I moved to Louth in my 20s and later found myself in Belchford. I’ll never leave here.
“The Lincolnshire Wolds are a well-kept secret. That adds to the specialness of the place, but then again people are thinner on the ground here. When I worked in colleges as a lecturer, I had to travel away for work. I assumed that opportunities weren’t to be found in the Wolds and that I’d have to go somewhere more urban.
“I initially wanted to set up in Grimsby but it’s hard to find the land in a built-up area. Then the opportunity at South Ormsby Estate came up and it allowed us to go further and faster with our plans. Part of the uniqueness of this place is that people really will come out from towns to see what we’ve got here.
“The Farm School is aimed at children and young people from primary age all the way up to further education. We don’t want to be too niche and we do want to open it to a wide range of people. My partner – Lauren Sanderson – and I are educators in land-based subjects including animal care and management, equine studies and some agriculture. We can tailor what we do to a range of students and themes, up to and including outdoor team-building for adults.
“Part of the plan is to offer a direction to kids who might not know where to go. Education is a very broad term. You can learn wellbeing just by being outside in natural surroundings. You can get better at teamwork, pick up skills that will make you more employable and discover possibilities. A strong element in what we do is connecting people to where their food actually comes from and making sure they know what farmers actually do.
