The young people on our GROW programme are the heart of everything that happens at Amelia Trust.
As a charity, our aim is to help teenagers who struggle in mainstream education gain the confidence and skills they need to get ahead in their lives.
Many of our young people have a soft spot for the Farm as they get older, and lots enjoy keeping in touch with what’s been happening and even visiting.
For Beth, the Farm is still a huge part of her life.
Beth is a GROW Tutor, Animal Care Lead, and a past student of the Farm. She knows the Farm like the back of her hand and is uniquely positioned to give us her perspective as both a student and tutor.
We had a chat to find out more about Beth’s Amelia Trust story.
When did you start coming to the Farm?
I started as a student at the Farm in 2012 and started working officially in 2015, I think. I took a break to work in the coffee shop at some point, and then and started back in 2020.
How did being at the Farm help you as a young person attending sessions?
Before starting as a student at the Farm I was a quiet introvert with no self-confidence.
Whilst being on the Farm I started gaining confidence while I was on sessions with the animals. I found speaking to them helped me with my self-esteem and gave me confidence in speaking to people about the animals.
The staff at the Farm made me realise my self-worth and put me on the right career path to help me accomplish who and what I am today.
Without the Farm I don’t know where or what I’d be.
How do you think the Farm helps young people?
The Farm helps young people by letting them be who they want to be in a safe environment. It also gives them the right tools to succeed in life, just like it did with me.
What’s the best thing about working at the Farm?
The best thing about working at the Farm is the open space and seeing how much the Farm makes a difference to everybody that comes through the gates.
There’s no doubt that our GROW programme has the potential to change futures, and we are delighted that Beth is still such a huge part of life on the Farm.
We hope Beth’s Amelia Trust story helped demonstrate why the work we do is so important.
To find out more about our GROW programme, and read other stories from past GROW young people, please explore our website.
