ON A MUDDY patch of Dorset farmland where the smell of hay hangs in the air and cows lumber quietly across the fields, lives are being rebuilt one pair of wellies at a time.

Since 2008, Future Roots at Rylands Farm in Sherborne has offered something many vulnerable young people have never had – consistency.

For teenagers struggling with trauma, poverty, anxiety or learning difficulties, the care farm provides an alternative to classrooms that have failed them – replacing desks and detentions with animals, teamwork and patient adult mentors who refuse to give up.

Through animal-assisted therapy, practical work and character-building programmes, young people who once felt written off discover strengths they never knew they had.

Some arrive unable to speak; others carry anger, shame or fear that makes traditional education impossible.

On the farm, they are met not with judgement, but with responsibility, and the quiet understanding of a herd of cows.

Future Roots director Julie Plumley tells us that the organisation exists for those who “need different opportunities to learn”.

“Every young person is born good and wants to please,” she explains. “Our job is to help them succeed so they can feel proud of the person they are.”

And the results can be extraordinary.

Young people excluded from school have gone on to speak at conferences, train as medical technicians and manage hundreds of sheep as professional shepherds.

Others find something less measurable but just as powerful: a sense of belonging.

Future Roots describes itself not just as a service, but as a farm family, offering reliability, honesty and care long after sessions end.

But this lifeline is under threat as rising costs have pushed expenses up by more than 20% in the past year, with the charity now facing a £60,000 annual funding shortfall.

Donations are needed for essentials, from vet bills and animal feed to IT equipment, wheelbarrows and wet-weather gear.

Even birthday cakes and cards for every child rely on community generosity.

“It takes £500,000 a year to run the organisation,” Julie says. “Without that support, we can’t deliver the service in the way we know saves lives.”

She does not say that lightly.

While many success stories are celebrated, one young man remains in their thoughts – a reminder of what can happen when support falls away.

He died at 16, after being let down by systems meant to protect him.

Future Roots continues regardless, supported by local churches, Rotary groups, community fundraisers and donors who believe in second chances.

For the young people who pass through its gates, the farm is often the place they discover their worth – and the adults who remember them, no matter how far they stray.

And on a quiet morning, as a teenager learns to steady their breathing beside a cow, it is clear that sometimes, the most powerful therapy doesn’t happen in a classroom at all.

If you would like to find out more about Future Roots and how you can donate to their work, call 01963 210703 or email office@futureroots.net