Fairfield House Vets have been caring for animals in Sussex for over sixty years, combining the traditional values of a long established independent veterinary practice with the up to date knowledge of an experienced and vibrant staff.
This project changes children’s lives; the close interactions with our animals enables our children to feel calmer, safer and more fulfilled. This farm gives our children opportunities, it gives them career aspirations and enables them to believe in themselves more. It gives them the confidence to try new things, to become more resilient and it supports them to regulate their often big emotions.
Our farm gives our volunteers a sense of puropse, it supports some of them with their mental health struggles too.
For our volunteer families, it enables them to feel more connected with their children through this shared experience, as well as feeling connected to their wider families and friends that join them. It brings me much joy to see the multi-generations work together to tend to our animals.
Our BIG BUILD days truly brings our community together, it’s where new friendships are formed, where people feel a sense of shared accomplishment. Having our older school leavers come back to Grovelands to give their time to help, and to see them learning new skills from our older volunteers warms my heart for sure.
We have another big plan to extend the farm in 2026, to offer more enriched opportunities to our children.
Ashdown Forest is a living time capsule of the culture and history of our county and nation. The internationally important heathland that the Conservators care for, alongside the woodlands, represent generations of human activity. At the heart of the Forest's ecosystem is grazing by wild and domestic animals that, alongside woodland clearance, created the original Forest landscape. Join Ashdown Forest's Head of Countryside, Ash Walmsley, and Head of Engagement, Beth Morgan, as they take you on a virtual tour of this special landscape, its wildlife, its people, and its diverse calendar of activities, sharing how its past has shaped the Forest we know and love today.
The Lost Woods project is bringing local people together to learn about, explore, and care for woods across the Low Weald and Downs. It is funded for 5 years by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and is run by four partners: The Woodland Trust, Action in Rural Sussex, Small Woods and the Sussex Wildlife Trust.
The presentation will include where to go to find advice on managing existing woods and trees in farms and options for integrating more trees into the farmed landscape.