Farm for underprivileged children opens to public

A farm which offers residential and day trips for underprivileged children is giving members of the public a rare opportunity to visit.

Dodford Children's Farm in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, will open its doors on 15 and 16 September for Heritage Open Days, an annual national festival of history and culture.

The theme for this year's event is Everyday Histories, exploring the "often-overlooked stories of ordinary working people and their daily lives".

It coincides with the 75th anniversary of the farm, which was founded in 1950 by school medical officer, Dr Dorothy Beaumont.

Beaumont was concerned about the health of children living in overcrowded, polluted areas of Birmingham and thought they would benefit from a stay in the countryside.

"They had all these aspirations to let them run around in the fresh air in the countryside and be free.", said the farm's manager, Kelly Broadfield.

Today, most children visit with their school groups during term time, but many come with their families during the holidays after being referred by professionals.

"We get a lot more referrals for families where there's at least one autistic child", said Broadfield.

"We [also] get lots of families who are financially struggling and a normal holiday would be out of their reach.

"So they come here - for very little to free - and have a few days in the countryside."

Although Dodford is not a working farm, the resident animals - including donkeys, goats, sheep, pigs, chickens, ducks, rabbits and guinea pigs - are the highlight for most children.

There is also a playground, a soft play barn, a splash pool and a pond for catching shrimps.

"We do find a lot of children are almost trapped in the city, and their life is just going to school, going home, walking on concrete," said Beaumont.

"So this is like a whole other world to them."

Adam, from Redditch, recently spent a week at Dodford with his family - including his children, 8-year-old Robyn and 11-year-old Oliver, who is non-verbal.

"It's really calmed him down," said Adam. "He slept nine hours last night and I think that's the most sleep he's had in years.

"It's been really good for him, a big open space where he can burn his energy off."

Sisters Marie Priest and Karen McGuinness, now both in their 50s, were small children living in inner-city Birmingham when they first visited in the late 1960s.

Priest arranged a short trip to the farm as a surprise for her sister, who was visiting from her home in Spain.

McGinnis said she remembered a sense of being loved and cared for during her childhood visits.

"I actually feel a bit emotional," she said. "It's such a good opportunity for underprivileged children.

"It just shows them that there's something else out there."

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