This year, Standalone Farm was the destination for our annual summer day out with the families that Home-Start supports.
Standalone Farm is a delightful, small working farm, situated on the outskirts of Letchworth. Over the years, Home-Start families have enjoyed many trips to Standalone, always appreciating the warm welcome we receive, as well as the fun that families can enjoy together while they are visiting.
A wonderful day out
This year was particularly special, as due to the pandemic, we have not been able to enjoy a trip like this together since 2019, which feels like such a long time ago!! We are especially grateful to Pico Technology who generously provided the funding that enabled us to offer this opportunity to families.
In total 14 families joined us on a sunny day in August for our visit. They were joined by 5 volunteers along with 2 staff members who helped to keep everything running smoothly. The children had a wonderful time and enjoyed seeing some of the animals that included pigs, sheep, horses, donkeys, chickens, geese and alpacas as well as some domestic pets such as guinea pigs and rabbits. Some families enjoyed a tractor ride while others watched the pigs being fed and the cows being milked. We also got a chance to meet the donkeys, and it was lovely to see some of the children feeling confident enough to get close to these large animals.
We joined together at lunchtime for a picnic lunch and afterwards, the children ran off some of their excess energy as they enjoyed exploring the play area, riding on the small tractors and admiring the model railway. The whole day was a great success and we had some lovely feedback from our families:
We asked Pico Technology why supporting Home-Start is important to them. They told us:
Pico Technology recognises it is really important to support our local charities. We see the amazing work Home-Start does in supporting the wellbeing of their families, which is so valuable for both happiness and health. There are so many benefits of being outdoors and the trip to Standalone farm was a perfect way for families to be in nature and in turn, enhance their wellbeing and happiness too. We are really delighted that the day was enjoyed by all.
Support your local Home-Start
If you would like to support Home-Start there are many ways in which you can do that:
