Cheshire farm empowers young adults with additional needs
Rangers carving pumpkins on the farm © Let's Farm A working farm on the outskirts of Winsford in Cheshire is offering young people with learning disabilities the opportunity to gain life skills, build confidence and work with animals in a fully inclusive, hands-on environment.
Founded by Nicola Colenso and Rosie Lee, Let’s Farm was created in response to a gap in post-education support for people with special educational needs and disabilities (Send).
Let’s Farm is set on 40ha of peaceful countryside with a lake, woodland, meadows and fields dedicated to wildlife and wildflowers.
Over the past few years, it has opened its gates to many young people with Send, who now attend regularly as “rangers”.
See also: Farm and forest school brings countryside to the city
© Let’s Farm
Through the experience of daily farm life, the farm helps 55 young people grow in agricultural skills, independence and self-belief, while contributing to the running of a traditional British farm.
As co-founder Nicola explains, the idea came from her long career in education spanning over 30 years:
“I saw people who have finished school and heard their parents saying they were worried that their children would fall off the edge of a cliff.
“So, I started thinking about the farm and creating something for those people – it’s become a really special place.”
Working farm
© Let’s Farm
Let’s Farm is not a petting farm, but a fully operational, working farm with rare breeds including pedigree Shropshire sheep, Ruby Red Devon and Hereford cattle, Gloucester Old Spot pigs, and Boar goats.
The farm also houses chickens, ducks, rabbit and guinea pigs, as well as fruit orchards.
All of the young people who work on the farm are over 16 years of age, with many of them in a full-time role.
© Let’s Farm
Rangers are involved in all aspects of farm work.
This includes feeding and caring for animals, cleaning, vaccinations, breeding programmes, and supporting lambing season – experiencing what the team describes as “all the highs and lows of real-life lambing”.
Rangers also prepare animals for agricultural shows, where they exhibit sheep and win rosettes, building pride and public-facing skills.
Commitment
© Let’s Farm
Co-founder Rosie Lee, who owns the land, shares her personal insight: “The young people come with 100% commitment, and their involvement on the farm is invaluable.
“Working with our rangers has brought such an elevated aspect to active farming. They are committed and involved, and want to know all of the information – they are just amazing.”
The farm follows a conservation and environmental programme, where rangers maintain woodlands and wetlands, explore the life cycle of insects, and participate in nature-based mindfulness.
This includes community projects in the local area such as clearing graveyards, as well as sustainable arts and crafts using materials from the land.
“We try and incorporate all of our teaching directly from the land and the farm,” says Nicola.
“All of the rangers’ learning is practical; the growth of the young people we work with and the knowledge that they gain from being hands-on is incredible.”
Sustainability aims
© Let’s Farm
One of the key principles at Let’s Farm is sustainability.
From foraging and cooking food from the farm, to crafting from natural materials and harvesting orchard produce, rangers are taught the full cycle of land stewardship.
Rangers are also actively involved in conservation grazing.
For instance, Shropshire sheep are used to graze on young tree saplings – a natural approach to woodland management that eliminates the need for chemical treatments.
This sustainable method is an important part of the rangers’ training.
Meanwhile, the farm’s native cattle help nurture wetland areas, providing essential support for ground-nesting birds and other wildlife.
Project growth
Let’s Farm continues to grow, recently expanding into turkey farming ahead of Christmas.
Nicola says the project is constantly evolving to meet the needs of more young people: “We are ever evolving. I can see Let’s Farm being bigger and better in the future, offering more opportunities to young people who wouldn’t have had a chance ordinarily.
“I wish there were projects like Let’s Farm in each county across the UK.”
Wider societal role
Let’s Farm provides more than just education. It offers a structured daily routine and a sense of belonging for young adults who may otherwise struggle to find purpose and opportunity.
“We want to give people something purposeful and meaningful, and something to get up for in the morning,” says Nicola Colenso.
The staff team include educators, support workers and therapists – all focused on making the farm both productive and inclusive.
The holistic approach blends informal learning with therapeutic and recreational activity, tailored to each individual’s needs.
Nicola adds: “We have changed the lives of young people; so many start just sitting at home, and we have given them a purpose through the farming sector.
“I believe there is a job for everyone in farming, and I can find a fulfilling job for everyone on our farm.”
Let’s Farm is also committed to community engagement, collaborating with families, local schools and other organisations.
This ensures a consistent support network for each ranger, creating opportunities beyond the farm itself.
Rosie recalls the moment the farm’s wider purpose became clear to her: “My lightbulb moment was watching a young lad interact with a sheep he was holding – he gave the animal such love and attention.”
New connections
Let’s Farm also offers rangers the space and opportunity to build friendships and foster new connections in the farming sector.
“What is important is the social side of it. By coming here, rangers get to socialise and create a community,” adds Nicola.
The founders say the long-term vision is to offer even more opportunities to those who may have been overlooked by mainstream employment and education routes.
“People who have spent the majority of their lives being told no are now being told yes,” says Rosie Lee. “We tell all of our rangers, ‘If you want to have a go at it, I will support you in doing it’.
“In my wildest dreams, I didn’t know that so many people needed something like this. They need to be given an opportunity, and being able to offer that is amazing.”