The Stepping into Nature team, led by the Dorset National Landscape Partnership, was awarded £102,606 through the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme to deliver an 18-month project between August 2023 and March 2025. The project brought together farmers and community health groups, providing farm visits for people facing barriers to accessing the natural environment, with a particular focus on adults living with disabilities.

The project had three aims: to train and support farmers to confidently host inclusive events; to provide meaningful, engaging and accessible farm-based experiences for adults with disabilities; and to develop a coordinated model for delivering supportive nature-based programmes through the Nature Buddies initiative.

Training farmers to host farm visits

The project funded LEAF to deliver a tailored Countryside Educational Visits Accreditation Scheme (CEVAS) course in Dorset, equipping 13 farmers with the tools to plan safe, engaging visits and manage risks effectively. 

After completing the training, each farmer received three days of one-to-one support, helping them to develop a portfolio promoting their farm to schools and community groups, and guidance for their first hosted visit. 

Each farmer was also paid for that first visit at the Countryside Stewardship rate, enabling them to offer a fully funded experience to a new group. Eleven of the 13 farms went on to host a visit within the year.

For many farmers, the Nature Buddies project opened up new possibilities – both as a potential income stream and as an opportunity to share their farm and their corner of Dorset with people who would not otherwise be able to access to it. Farmers commented on their admiration for the enthusiasm and can-do attitude of the groups they hosted.

“I really enjoyed giving this opportunity to groups that are normally disadvantaged in some ways beyond their control.” Nature Buddies trained farmer

The Dorset National Landscape team worked closely with community groups to understand the barriers people faced and identify activities of interest. Groups were then matched with suitable farms. 

In total, ten community groups attended 24 farm visits, with 192 people taking part across all visits. The groups represented a wide range of conditions, including profound deafness, sight impairments, mental health difficulties, learning disabilities, and neurodivergence.

“I am so grateful to your organisation for providing my group of adults with learning disabilities with the opportunity to experience something completely out of their usual comfort zone and for developing their interest in rural Dorset.” Vitality Organiser

Impact across the community

For the adults who took part, the visits provided real opportunities to understand, access and enjoy the countryside and learn about farming practices and heritage – with no barriers. Importantly it also challenged many of their own pre-conceived ideas of what they were capable of.

One participant, reflecting on what it means to be deaf in a world that often overlooks invisible disabilities, noted that projects like this “could go some way” to giving people a voice and overcoming the isolation they face.

Group leaders also benefited. For many it was the first time they had organised a farm visit. Seeing the positive impact it had on their groups and the relative ease of organising the outing has opened up new possibilities. Several expressed interest in arranging future visits independently using their own funding – a sign that the project has built lasting confidence and connections.

For Dorset National Landscape, the project created stronger links with community groups from diverse backgrounds – many of whom had not previously engaged with the organisation. These new relationships have raised awareness of National Landscape team’s work and offer a strong foundation for future collaboration.