Rock Farm is a therapeutic market garden, growing fruit and veg for local markets and providing accessible community support for people who need it. We serve the communities of Worthing, Horsham, Brighton and surrounding villages.
Our supported volunteers tend to be adults with special educational needs, disabilities, neurodivergence, mental health struggles and/or experiences of social marginalisation (including migrants, refugees and asylum seekers). Many of our participants benefit from a gently structured routine, adaptable tasks and low-pressure social environments. We work alongside support workers where needed and are happy to discuss individual needs and adjustments to make it the right fit for each person.
At the farm we also recognise that many communities — including people of colour, refugees, asylum seekers and global majority communities — often face barriers to accessing green and rural spaces. These could be cultural, practical (transport, cost) or rooted in experiences of exclusion and feeling unsafe in rural environments. We want Rock Farm to be a space where those barriers are understood, taken seriously, and addressed. We value learning from people’s expertise about how to make this work well for their particular community — your knowledge informs the type of space we provide, and we’re committed to listening rather than assuming what communities need.
What We Can Offer
We have three ways for people to get involved:
- 1. Join our regular volunteer days (Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, 10am–3pm). Individuals can join our existing volunteer community, for a one-off visit or as a more regular volunteer (though there is no set time-commitment required and many of our volunteers are ad-hoc). Participants need to be comfortable joining a diverse group and working relatively independently, or come with a support worker if they need 1-to-1 support. We run a free minibus service from Brighton (Florence Rd) every Wednesday – otherwise participants will need to get to us by car or public transport. Get in touch to organise an initial visit.
- 2. Bring a group to join our regular volunteer days (Thursdays or Fridays). This could be a private, organisation or workplace group. Muck in with the jobs on the list for that day, share our cooked community lunch, and learn about the work we do. Hire our minibus and driver for the day if you don’t have your own transport. Get in touch to enquire.
- 3. Book a private/closed group session (Mondays, Tuesdays or weekends). Your organisation/group can book the farm exclusively for your own group. This option offers a more contained, private environment, which may suit participants who’d benefit from a closed site, or a familiar setting with their own staff present. You can hire the site and run the day yourselves, or we can provide facilitation and/or lunch on request. Private days can also be tailored towards your group’s interests, and we have camping on offer in the summer months. Get in touch to enquire.
Transport — We Can Help
We know that accessing rural spaces can be a significant barrier. To help with this:
- We run a free 12-seat minibus that collects from Brighton every Wednesday at 9.30am and returns around 3.30pm.
- For private group bookings, the minibus can potentially be arranged on other days by prior arrangement.
- Lift shares are also sometimes possible for individual volunteers on volunteer days.
- We can talk you through public transport options, relevant to where you/your client group is based.
Food and Dietary Needs
We share lunch together on site, with some sharing a cooked option using our own produce, and others bringing packed lunches as that feels more comfortable. Our cooked lunch tends to be vegetarian, vegan and gluten free (inc coeliac safe), and we are happy to work with you to accommodate other dietary requirements. Please let us know in advance and we’ll ensure everyone is catered for.
Accessibility
We want to be upfront: our site is a working market garden with rugged, uneven paths, and we do not yet have wheelchair-accessible toilet facilities. We’re actively working to improve physical accessibility, and we’d be glad to discuss specific access needs to determine what’s feasible for individual participants. We may not be able to accommodate every mobility need at present, but we’re committed to finding solutions wherever we can.
Safeguarding
We take safeguarding seriously. All our staff are DBS-checked, and we have in place risk assessments, healthy & safety and safeguarding policies and procedures, and forms for referrals and self-referrals. We’re happy to share these documents and walk through any questions your organisation has about safeguarding arrangements before a visit.
Costs
There is no cost to for individuals volunteering on our regular volunteer days, including referrals.
Pricing for group bookings (both private and on volunteer days) is tailored to each group – please reach out to start discussing a plan for yours.
