Guest Post: Dodford Children’s Farm - Way More Than Just a School Trip

Guest Post

Jan 28

Written By Birmingham Early Years Networks

Manager of Dodford Children’s Farm, Kelly Broadfield, tells us how it all began and why the farm, a staple residential destination for early years settings across the West Midlands, is still going strong 70 years later!

*The following guest post represents the author’s personal view and does not necessarily represent the view of the Birmingham Early Years Networks (BEYN) as a whole. Any issues or questions arising from the content of this post should, therefore, be directed to the author and not BEYN.

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The reaction I get when I tell people what I do is generally aghast, but hey, we’ve been doing it for 70 years now so it must work, let me explain……

How It All Began

When school doctor, Dorothy Beaumont and head of Brearley Nursery School, Dorothy Platt first drove into the yard of Dodford Farm in Bromsgrove, they looked at each other and said: “This is it”.

The atmosphere touched them immediately and with help from Lucy Cadbury, Dodford Nursery Children’s Holiday Farm (our original name) became a reality. The aim of the charity was to provide countryside holidays for children from Birmingham, post-World War II.

“Our school was one of the first schools to be invited to take children to the Holiday Farm in August 1951. The children who were invited to visit the farm did not have any opportunity to have a family holiday, so we introduced them to the countryside and to the big outside world.
The children benefitted in many ways from spending seven days in a healthy and relaxed atmosphere, and from eating all meals outside (at Dr Beaumont’s insistence!) The children very quickly gained healthy complexions and coughs and colds disappeared…
We saw a child smile for the first time and another began to talk to staff and other children. Twins I had taken there once, returned with me to the farm one evening in the ’80s and we went on one of the walks, it was these that had remained in their memory”
Bessie Crombie – Former Head of Brearley Nursery, Trustee and Patron of the farm

Dodford Farm Today

The farm today is both very similar and quite different from the ‘olden days’. We welcome around 800 visitors a year, some come to stay all week, others for the day. Many are from Birmingham but also Sandwell, Redditch, Bromsgrove and one nursery comes to us all the way from Northampton!

There are only a few groups that come for the full five days so we can be flexible, offering overnight stays and split weeks with children from the same school changing over on Wednesdays.

In addition to the primary and special schools that visit during the week, we also welcome Brownie and Cub groups at weekends. Family holidays are offered on a referral basis, but more about that later.

A Day on the Farm

A typical day at the farm consists of: breakfast, followed by letting the animals out of their hutches and coups, animal feeding, egg collecting and of course everyone gets to stroke the animals! Children then have a donkey ride or go for a walk, write and send a postcard home and enjoy a cooked lunch and dessert.

In the afternoon, they might play outside or in the paddling pool if the weather is nice or go in the play-barn if it’s wet. Most groups fish in the stream at some point and blow bubbles in the fields. Some go to ‘Forest School’ with me.

Tea, bath and a film before bed and teachers can finally put their feet up and relax a little. Teachers tell me they get to know children in a very different way on a residential which makes for better relationships back at school or nursery.

*Image courtesy of Dodford Children’s Farm*

Families can be referred to stay with us in the school holidays and they vary enormously.

We could have a working couple with an autistic child for whom the ‘average’ holiday is difficult, a mum unable to afford a holiday for herself and her children or a single dad in need of a break with his children.

We have also seen an increase in grandparents with full time responsibility for their grandchildren using our services.

Unfortunately, many of the parents who come to us have suffered from domestic violence and some of the children have suffered abuse. Farm staff never judge or make them do anything they don’t want to do.

We are sometimes a listening ear, joining parents for a cup of tea while leaning on the fence at the back of the farm overlooking the fields of animals and the woods; watching the children play while the buzzards hover and the deer make the noises which terrify many a mother at night!

Some can’t adapt to the silence and darkness and realise they prefer the sound of a busy street and bright lights, whereas others relish the peace and quiet and quality time with their children. This has been the same since the early days.

Outdoor Experiences

Outdoor experiences have always been a huge part of a stay at the farm. Children always have, and always will, picnic in the fields, fish in the stream, play Pooh-sticks, run (and topple) down our hills and get caked in Dodford clay!

I ask them to sit and listen for a minute if we sit in the gazebo in ‘Fairy Field’ so they can hear the woodpeckers, crows and sheep; although they always tell me they can hear lions and tigers too! Space, fresh air and animals - who are of course the main attraction.

The walk up Nibletts Hill (the name causes many a giggle) has been described as ‘The Amazon’ with its huge trees and lush green woodland and meandering stream.

Many groups talk about the ‘Style Walk’; I was amazed in my early days here how many little ones cried at the prospect of climbing a style, or the feel of long grass on their legs, or the fear of getting their new wellies dirty! The longer they stay, the more they overcome these fears.

Making Memories

Whilst attending events, I often meet people of all ages who tell me of their memories of staying here, and it is not unusual for people to just turn up looking for the magical place they remember visiting as a child!

I love to hear them talk about their fond memories of the farm, which is so dear to many hundreds of people.

I feel a huge responsibility to make sure that the children who come here during my time leave with cherished memories they will never forget and might even remember my name with a fond smile one day.

Keeping Going

Our funding comes mainly from donations and appeals to charitable trusts. Our charges are very low which is crucial to Birmingham schools and families.

The farm has been though it’s difficult times as any charity does; Foot and Mouth Disease restrictions closed us to visitors in 2001 and left staff terrified that our treasured pets would succumb.

Financial worries have kept many a volunteer treasurer awake at night and 2020 well, that’s topped the lot! But we’re still going all these years later.

We would love to see you, whether you’ve never heard of us (we are an unusual place that has to be seen to be believed!) or you haven’t been for years.

One thing I know is that once that Dodford magic gets you, you won’t ever forget it!