High Sheriff hears how young people benefit from Change of Scene

Change of Scene helps young marginalised people struggling with school attendance, Chief Executive Pam Robinson explained to Dr Llewelyn during her visit to the charity’s smallholding in Rowledge, Farnham.

The high sheriff heard that young people learn through spending time with the Change of Scene team on the charity’s farm. Their impactful outdoor experiences include planning and building a pond or bench and repairing items around the site.

Change of Scene has an 80% success rate at getting children back into education. It provides 27 sessions a week, with 13 of those used by young people who have no school place. Youngsters who are permanently excluded from school attend two sessions, and the remaining 11 are either on temporary exclusions or their placement is still being planned.

The young people are encouraged to interact with and take responsibility for various animals, including feeding and cleaning them. However, Pam said that not all young people want to engage with the fluffier animals. So, they include a snake and rats among the species.

During her visit, Dr Llewelyn also learned that Change of Scene is looking for a new site. If you can help, please get in touch. It is also a finalist in the Persimmons Homes – Building Futures competition, which has a top prize of £100,000 that would make the charity safe for the next couple of years. Here’s the link to vote by 19 November.

Pictured: Llamas and alpacas like Fleur and Nutmeg are among the animals young people work with, while Meringue the goat is noted for his fleece nibbling!

Pictured: Llamas and alpacas like Fleur and Nutmeg are among the animals young people work with, while Meringue the goat is noted for his fleece nibbling!