September at The Nest: Back to the Farm 
The Nest Farms – September Newsletter
Welcome Back!
We hope everyone had a lovely summer break and has enjoyed getting back into the swing of things at The Nest. It has been wonderful to welcome our young people back to the farm, as well as seeing lots of new faces joining us for the first time.
We’re really pleased to share that The Nest is now running groups three days a week! This is an exciting step for us and means we can welcome and support even more young people through our programme.
There have been lots of changes happening behind the scenes over the summer too, so there is plenty to catch up on!
A Warm Welcome to Our New Staff Members
We are delighted to welcome two new members to The Nest team – James and Michaela (Micki).
James, our new Farm Manager, has already made a real impact, bringing lots of fresh ideas and making some really positive changes around the farm. There has certainly been no shortage of jobs to get stuck into over the summer, and we’re looking forward to seeing his ideas continue to take shape over the coming months.
We are also very pleased to welcome Micki, our new Wellbeing Team member, who has joined us to support our new Tuesday group. Micki brings a wealth of experience with her, and we are really looking forward to our young people getting to know her and having her as part of their time at The Nest.
A very warm welcome to you both – we’re so pleased to have you as part of the team!
New Homes and New Arrivals 
Our rabbits and guinea pigs have been on the move! Their housing has been relocated and we are now in the final stages of creating their new outdoor areas, giving them some lovely new spaces to explore.
We have also welcomed three new female rabbits, along with some tiny baby guinea pigs who have already been attracting plenty of attention!
Elsewhere on the farm, we have welcomed some new hens to the flock, and work is underway to enlarge our pond. We hope that, once complete, this area will eventually become a wonderful new home for our ducks.
Echo, Alfie... and Tango! 
We have some slightly more exotic new residents too!
Echo and Alfie, our two African grey parrots, have been settling in nicely and certainly know how to make their presence known with their wonderful range of vocal sounds! They are now getting comfortable in their new enclosure in the aviary, and we are looking forward to getting to know their personalities.
We have also welcomed a very striking bright orange, one-eyed corn snake, who has been very appropriately named Tango!
From Foraging to Crumble 
We certainly haven’t wasted any time getting busy since returning!
During one of our first afternoons back, our young people headed out to forage for blackberries. The following week, we put them to very good use by making a delicious apple and blackberry crumble.
We’ve also made overnight oats, using the activity as an opportunity to talk about healthy routines and how the food we eat can help give both our bodies and our minds the fuel they need.
It has been a lovely way to combine practical skills, time outdoors and conversations around looking after ourselves.
Cracking the Case with Suffolk Police 
Last week, one of our groups had a fantastic visit from Suffolk Police, who brought along an exciting investigative game for our young people to complete while learning about online safety.
There were clues to solve, information to uncover and quite a few tricky puzzles along the way – some of them certainly weren’t easy to decipher!
It was a really engaging way to explore such an important subject, and we would like to say a big thank you to Suffolk Police for taking the time to visit us and make the session so enjoyable.
Positive Steps Beyond The Nest 
We’ve also been really proud to hear about some of the positive steps our young people have taken over the summer. It’s wonderful to see the confidence, friendships and skills they have developed at The Nest being carried with them into life outside the farm.
One of our young people has started volunteering at a charity shop in their local community. This is such a fantastic achievement and something we are incredibly proud of. They are putting the confidence and communication skills they have worked so hard to build here at The Nest into practice, while also giving their time and making a real difference within their community.
Another young person has completed a work shadowing placement in a career sector they have wanted to work in for a long time. Taking that step into a real workplace and exploring future employment opportunities was a brilliant achievement and a really positive move towards their longer-term goals.
We’ve also loved hearing that some of our young people have met up independently for days out together over the summer, after forming friendships here at The Nest. For some of our young people, making connections and building friendships can be a big step, so seeing those relationships continue beyond their time at the farm is really special.
These moments might all look different, but each one represents growing confidence, independence and belief in what is possible. A huge well done to all of our young people – we are incredibly proud of the steps you are taking.
AQA Success
We are also incredibly pleased that some of our young people have successfully completed an AQA in caring for parrots.
It’s fantastic to see them gaining recognition for the practical skills and knowledge they are developing here at The Nest. A huge well done to everyone who completed it!
Thank You to the Co-op 
We would like to say a huge thank you to the Co-op for their generous grant in support of The Nest.
Funding like this makes such a difference to a small charity like ours and will help us continue delivering our programme and supporting many more young people.
We are incredibly grateful for the support.
Looking Ahead...
And we’re only just getting started!
We have lots more planned over the next few weeks as we head towards half term, including yoga, baking and plenty more activities around the farm.
With new animals to get to know, new areas taking shape and lots of activities still to come, we think it’s going to be a busy and exciting autumn at The Nest.
Thank you, as always, to our young people, families, volunteers, supporters and everyone who helps make The Nest what it is.
It’s lovely to have everyone back, and we can’t wait to see what the rest of the term brings! 