Smiles Sensory & Family Farm

I am honoured to be the owner of Smiles Sensory and Family Farm.

My journey with Smiles began in the summer of 2021, when I joined as a volunteer. During my time here, I saw first-hand the profound difference that a safe, peaceful environment, meaningful interaction with animals and connection with nature can make to people's lives. When the opportunity arose to continue the work of Smiles, I was determined to preserve and develop its values and create a long-term sanctuary for both people and animals.

I work in IT for a local Housing Association and am mum to a quirky 10-year-old neurodivergent child. I live at home with my daughter, our cat, and our fish. 

After reducing my working hours, I started volunteering at Smiles in 2021, and farm life has since become an important part of my life. Spending time there has had a hugely positive impact on my mental health and wellbeing, and I’m grateful to be part of such a supportive and rewarding community.

I'm a Registered Nurse working laterally in child health, which has given me some understanding of neurodiverse children. I have also worked extensively in Safeguarding children. 

I have 2 grown up children and am a dog lover.

I have been volunteering at Smiles since 2022 and have enjoyed getting to know the animals and how to care for them. I find the farm very relaxing and mindful and enjoy showing visitors around.

I became involved with the Sensory Farm because of my own personal experience as a parent of a young adult with autism and complex needs.

For a long period, we struggled to find a suitable day service that could understand and accommodate our son's individual needs. A number of organisations were unable to provide an environment that was appropriate for him because of the complexity of his needs. The Sensory Farm, through SMILES, was able to offer him a weekly visit and provide an environment where he could be supported, understood and included.

This experience gave me a strong belief in the value of the Sensory Farm and the opportunities it can provide for people with additional and complex needs. I wanted to give something back to the farm and use my own experience as a parent and carer to support its future development.

As a Director, my main purpose is to support the long-term sustainability and development of the Sensory Farm. In particular, I am passionate about fundraising and helping to secure the financial resources needed to meet the considerable costs involved in maintaining and running the farm.

I want to help ensure that the Sensory Farm can continue to provide a safe, welcoming and meaningful environment for children, young people and adults with additional needs, while also developing opportunities for the wider community.

I am committed to supporting the other directors and trustees, contributing my experience and perspective, helping to promote the farm's work and raising awareness of the valuable services and opportunities it provides.

I very much hope that our application for charitable trust status will be successful, as I believe this would provide an important foundation for the Sensory Farm's long-term future and enable us to develop further fundraising and community opportunities.

My purpose as a Director is therefore to contribute positively to the governance, sustainability and development of the Sensory Farm, with a .particular focus on fundraising and ensuring that this valuable resource can continue to benefit people with additional and complex needs for many years to come.