Future Roots is pleased to publish here Sarah Hambridge’s PhD thesis submitted to Bournemouth University entitled,
What does it mean to young people to be part of a care farm?
An evaluation of a care farm intervention for young people with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.
In her work Sarah attempts to understand the impact of care farm work on the mental and social health of disadvantaged young people with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties (BESDs) from low-socioeconomic backgrounds who are at risk of becoming NEET (Not in Employment, Education and Training) at sixteen years of age.
From the abstract, “It examines the potential for underlying mechanisms of a care farm to enhance young people’s chances of remaining in education, employment and training and lead to improvements for this disadvantaged group’s health and well-being. The Self-Determination Theory (SDT) was used as a theoretical framework to explore the psychological mechanisms underlying experiences of attending the care farm…
…The thesis concludes by arguing that this care farm initiative provides an alternative to traditional classroom based learning for pre-NEET young people with BESDs when they are therapeutically supported in a green space. The farm environment is conducive for young people to build key social, life and relationship skills, thus enhancing their chances of remaining in education, employment or training.”
