10/10/2026
A cow doesn't ask, “Why haven’t you been in school lately?” 🐄
For a lot of young people, that’s the hardest question to answer because the answer is too big, too tangled, or too hard to say out loud.
A cow doesn’t ask what’s going on, or whether you’re feeling better yet. She just needs feeding and care, every day.
That’s the idea behind Farm for Health, a core programme run by Surrey Hills Society with working farms across the Surrey Hills, where young people dealing with stress, anxiety or low mood, or who are at risk of disengaging from education, spend time caring for animals, looking after the land and learning practical skills.
And that’s where things can start to change.
Here’s why it can help:
🌱 It gives people something to focus on, when talking feels difficult. A task with a clear start and finish gives someone a way back in when talking feels impossible.
🌱 Time outdoors can help reduce stress. Being outside, away from screens and pressure, can give a busy mind space to breathe.
🌱 Routine can help create a stable rhythm. Animals need the same care at the same time every day, providing structure and a reason to get up and get going.
🌱 Being needed builds a sense of mattering. When animals depend on you, you start to feel that you matter, which is often what’s been missing.
🌱 Side-by-side activity lowers social pressure and creates connection. Working alongside a farmer takes the pressure off having to explain yourself, and conversation happens naturally.
🌱 Small successes build self-belief. Going near an animal you were initially afraid of, then doing it without a second thought, proves “I can’t” doesn’t always have to stay “I can’t.”
We see the changes in everyday life: young people becoming more confident, more engaged and more willing to take those next steps.
This World Mental Health Day, we’re thinking about the young people who need the space to work out how to answer the questions in their lives.
📩 Know a young person who could benefit from our Farm for Health scheme? Get in touch, we’d love to tell you more.
