Countrymen UK
We provide work related activities to men who are unable to access the countryside independently to help them and their carers meet the challenges of isolation resulting from deteriorating physical or mental health
Who we are
Countrymen UK is a small charity based on a farm near Sherborne in Dorset. It provides a safe farm and countryside environment which, with help, men can access. Its aim is to support men of all ages to meet the challenges being faced by those who find themselves isolated due to deteriorating physical or mental health or changing social circumstances.
Amongst others, conditions may include: Dementia, Parkinson’s, Chronic Pain, Depression, Anxiety, and particularly loneliness, or a loss of independence.
Typically, the men involved may have worked in farming, horticulture or forestry but equally they may simply have an affinity with the countryside.
What we do
The club is very much about what the men can do, not what they can’t. By attending the farm the men have the opportunity to experience the many benefits of being outside and they are encouraged to be as active as their mobility will allow. Equally importantly we also provide a carers’ group for partners and families.
The club is set out to offer something very different to traditional day centres, in that it offers the things that are very often taken away. The men are involved in the sensory input of the work environment that farming gives and they do all sorts of tasks such as feeding the animals, making things out of wood in the workshop, tending a small allotment and polytunnel, basic maintenance and repairs arising on the farm and in the garden, and, importantly, they benefit from access to the outdoors.
Our aims
The difference we want for the men is to try to ensure that rather than being defined by their illness or incapacity, they are helped and encouraged to regain their purpose, with an element of independence that may otherwise be denied them.
Above all else we want to give them and those who look after them a reason to smile again.
Our Vision
That every man has the opportunity to access outdoor spaces daily… to be able to use their skills despite health conditions… to beat isolation by making new friends and by working and socialising positively with their peers.
Our latest updates and news
A Country Journey One man and his horse
A Country Journey is a 200-mile multi-day cross-country walk by Roger Sewill and his horse, Scarlet, a native Dales Pony. Together they are journeying from Surrey to Dorset. The expedition will take
Spring Newsletter 2024
Welcome to our Spring Newsletter! We have introduced a few new features over the past few months including: A WhatsApp group for the staff and volunteers which has proved successful in keeping
The Countrymen UK Network
Countrymen UK (CUK) now has a growing network of care farms and gardens, stretching from the south of England to the north of Scotland. If you’d like to be put in touch, or if you’d like to be part of the CUK Network, please get in touch.
Challenges
The CUK Network is meeting the challenges being faced by men who find themselves isolated because of deteriorating physical or mental health, or changing social conditions, whether they are from rural or urban areas.
Affinity
The men we support normally have an affinity with farms, gardens or other outdoor environments through their previous work, leisure activities or just a love of the countryside.
Positive impact
Our slogan, “Getting back to being you” reflects our belief that getting back to farm, garden, countryside environments and green spaces, overcomes isolation and has a positive impact on physical health and mental wellbeing.
“It’s great for Countrymen and it’s great for their Family Carers.”
How we can help you?
If you would like to Join a Countrymen UK Group
- We can help you find a local Countrymen UK Group close to home
- We can also help you to get the quality of service you would expect.
If you would like to start a Countrymen UK Group
- We can help you establish and develop your group
- We’ll provide the necessary support and training
- We can help you to provide the range of quality services and activities that make a Countrymen UK Group the success it deserves to be.
A Countryman and Carer speak out
Tom R., a Countrymen Group member, says;
“Being back on a farm with the animals, the smells and the feel of familiar things is all I ever wanted… and meeting up with new friends from similar backgrounds is a massive bonus.
If there wasn’t a Countrymen Group, I’d hate to think what I’d be doing today or what my life would be like without this.”
Jenny P., a Family Carer, says;
“The Countrymen Group provides me with respite but it has also changed my relationship with Robert. He is outdoors and getting involved in what was once his daily life, as well as some new interests.
We now have new things to talk about and I know that he’s being given the chance to do things he thought were only in his past. I also get to rest and relax, knowing he’s in a safe and stimulating place.”
Take a look at our leaflet
Click on the cover image to open our leaflet
Cymru fersiwn
Gallwch hefyd lawrlwytho fersiwn o’r pamffled hwn yn Gymraeg.
You can also download a version of this brochure in Welsh.
