A community-owned farm near Market Drayton has stepped in to offer vital respite accommodation for vulnerable young people during the Coronavirus crisis.
Shropshire Council’s Children and Families team has been using Fordhall Farm’s Straw Lodge building to give short breaks to young people who are in crisis due to issues such as family breakdown.
Following the introduction of social distancing measures, the Council needed to find additional places to offer respite because its existing facilities were not able to operate at their usual capacity.
Charlotte Hollins, Manager of the Fordhall Community Land Initiative, was keen to help and offered the farm’s eco-friendly building for the purpose.
She said: “We have been honoured to offer the Straw Lodge to vulnerable young people. It is so rewarding to see it being used to help heal and revitalise young minds. Even the lack of WiFi does not seem to have been a problem. The Straw Lodge is made from natural materials from the floor to the roof, which is said to have benefits for breathing and mental well-being. We are really pleased to be used in such a restorative way. It has also been wonderful to see the young people sat outside watching the pigs wallow in the mud and listening to the birds. We have all been so pleased to offer our facility for such worthwhile use at this difficult time.”
Ian Allman, Manager of Havenbrook Short Stay Provision, which provides short residential stays for children on the edge of care, added: “Being able to use the Straw Lodge for short respite breaks has been an absolute Godsend. The young people we have been supporting range in age from seven up to 16, and they are children who aren’t in care but they are in crisis, and they need a break away from home for a few nights.
“They’ve been spending from one night to four nights in the Straw Lodge with two of our residential care workers. We have all been finding the space very therapeutic. It’s such a relaxing building to be in and we’ve been able to look at the animals too and spend time in the garden areas – it has had a really positive impact.”
Constructed from straw bales, wood, sheep’s wool and car tyres, the Straw Lodge is one of the largest volunteer-built straw bale buildings in England. Before the lockdown, it was mainly used by participants of two projects based at the farm, a youth project and a Care Farm for adults with learning disabilities. Both projects were closed following lockdown, but the community organisation was keen for the building to be used to benefit local people during the crisis.
The Straw Lodge sleeps 25, and has a large communal area and fully equipped kitchen. Next year, it is hoped the Straw Lodge will be available for hire once again by schools and other groups, and also for family gatherings once Government guidelines allow.