Supporting Local Children Struggling with Education
Located in the south of Northamptonshire, Courteenhall has been the home of the Wake family since 1672, exactly 350 years, and has been a functioning farm for the entirety of that time. Today, Courteenhall Estate consists of farmland, parkland, woodland, a renewable energy portfolio, and residential and commercial property. It is currently home to Managing Partner Dr. Johnny Wake, his parents, his grandmother and his primary school-aged children, as well as several members of the 20 person team and their families.
The Wake family feels that people often see the big closed gates of estates across the country and rarely see what lies beyond. They did not want this for Courteenhall; they wanted to share it with others. As proud members of their community, they’ve hosted the village fete for three generations which raises money for the local church. They also host multiple charities for fundraising events and use of the grounds, two local primary schools for regular visits, and sponsor local charity HomeStart and various local sports teams.
More recently, Johnny backed the TRUST programme which was founded at Courteenhall as he wanted to build on the family’s legacy and have an even greater impact on the local community. The programme gives children across Northamptonshire who are struggling in mainstream education the opportunity to get out of the traditional classroom and learn in an outdoor environment. Schools pay a contribution for children to attend the programme , which is matched by the Wake family.
Since its inception in 2021, the TRUST programme has helped 48 primary school children. These children have been selected to go on the programme by their teachers who feel they may benefit from it. Reasons for this may include children having a special educational need or disability (SEND), having gone through bereavement, or having a parent in prison. Many children who attend the programme often don’t have the opportunity to be in the outdoors, even outside of school. Key to its success is the fact that the programme gives training to the parents and teachers rather than just working with the children.
One child whom TRUST has helped is Emily (name changed) who was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and sensory impairment issues. The anxiety associated with these diagnoses had impacted her life significantly to the point that she was not able to cope with attending school - her attendance was at 40%.
Whilst at TRUST, Emily quickly learnt about the power of trying and resilience. She had a go at everything that she was asked to including climbing trees, den building and pond dipping. She learnt to understand other people’s feelings and knew that everyone feels apprehensive at times, and learnt how to regulate her body’s response to stress. Emily now has a 100% school attendance.
Courteenhall is now seeking to secure charitable status for the TRUST programme , so that more funding can be secured and more children like Emily can reap its benefits. It has the backing of several local mental health services.
All of the team at Courteenhall are proud of the TRUST programme and the positive impact it has had on local children. They hope that other family estates across the country are able to replicate its model. When Johnny was asked for his words of wisdom for other family businesses who would like to set up a similar model or another community or charitable initiative, he said:
“The key thing is finding the right people to work with and drive it. We recommend building up networks with local schools by getting in touch with them and finding out how you can help. NGOs or charities that function to link your industries with schools can sometimes help with this.”
In October of this year, Johnny received a Community Farming Hero award from South Northamptonshire MP Andrea Leadsom DBE – an award which was instigated by the National Farmers Union to recognise farmers and food producers who go above and beyond for their community.
Commenting on why she nominated Johnny, Andrea Leadsom MP said: “Johnny is a leading light within the industry, managing a team of dedicated people who share his vision to safeguard the land for future generations. What sets him apart from the crowd is that he is the driving force behind numerous CSR projects that support the community in which he operates.”