Family activities & accommodation

Families with children/young people with a learning difficulty or disabilities. Volunteering for you. Self-catering for your family and friends.

For families who have a child or young person with a learning difficulty or disability we offer tailor-made day and residential visits on the farm. If you would like to volunteer to enjoy some time with like-minded people in the gardens and out on the farm we have opportunities for you. Magdalen Farm is a perfect venue for self-catering groups, from 10 people to 50 plus.

Accommodation and facilities for groups of adults or young people and self-catering options.

Bunk bed accommodation at Magdalen Farm

Nestled in the heart of the West Country, Magdalen Farm has a surprising range of facilities.

Whether you come to us for a course, a specific activity or whether you hire a building for a family and friends get together, you can enjoy…

Accommodation that is warm, clean and comfortable
132 acres of space to enjoy
Woodlands and meadows
Vegetable gardens and orchards
Cob ovens for making pizza
Farm animals to meet, including pigs, chickens, goats and cattle
A mile of riverbank, ponds and streams
Pushchair and wheelchair access to most areas
Designated break out spaces
Playing field including a zip wire and climbing frame
Specialist facilities for people with disabilities (see below)

Guests staying overnight will enjoy accommodation in:

The Old Dairy, for 36 people (more by arrangement)
The Farmhouse for 25 people (more by arrangement)

You have the option of self-catering, or being catered for by us.

We provide homemade satisfying meals for our residential guests - with most of the ingredients being organic and local.

Take a look at the "Accommodation Gallery" for pictures of our facilities.

Contact us for further details and availablity

For people with additional needs and disabilities

Tramper for accessibility at Magdalen Farm

Magdalen Farm boasts wheelchair accessible paths to most areas and 3 Tramper all-terrain electric wheelchairs giving those with mobility issues an opportunity to enjoy the farm. We also have a Mencap accredited Gold Standard changing place with a changing table and plenty of space.

We are constantly reviewing our facilities and services to make sure all of our visitors have the same high quality of service. For example, we meet all dietary requirements when given notice, we can use widgits for our itineraries if required and make sure that we cater for sensory disabilites and difficulties throughout the expereince.

Family Breaks and 'Dorset Families Matter'.

Family breaks at Magdalen Farm

Family day trips & sleepovers

Just Act Natural: be in nature, be yourself.

Just Act Natural is an extension programme of our Families on the Farm offer.

The National Lottery Community Fund has generously granted another 5 years of funding to provide day visits and sleepovers for families with a child or young person (up to 25 years of age) with SEND. Visits are fully inclusive and tailor made to the needs of our visitors. The Just Act Natural programme is even more ambitious and provides family breaks for even more families within Somerset, Dorset and the Southwest. We are partnering with Parent-Carer organisations and are offering day visits at another site in Somerset; Carymoor Environmental Centre

Just Act Natural encourages the whole family to share time with other families enjoying a huge variety of tailor-made activities out and about on the farm: caring for the farm animals, orienteering, pond dipping, enjoying a sing song around a fire, making a memento to take home and many more. We design your visit around your needs; it's a non-judgmental, supportive environment for parents and all of your children and young people.

“We absolutely LOVE Magdalen! Every visit goes so quickly and we’re just holding out for the next visit. It is great to be able to take part in risky activities with such expert guidance and support and not forgetting the encouragement to give everything a go!”
-Parent after day trip

'Dorset Families Matter'

If your family is part of Dorset Families Matter, you could come to Magdalen for one-day and overnight stays. You will need to be referred for this package. We sensitively design the day for your family so that you are doing activities you'll enjoy and getting what you want out of the day. Please call us for details.

Tuesday volunteering

Have fun, connect with others and know that you are contributing to a charity making a difference to hundreds of people's lives.

Corporate volunteering.

We are delighted to work with corporate volunteer groups and have done so for many years. Skilled Magdalen staff will be with you throughout your day, demonstrating tasks, teaching techniques and making sure that everyone remains safe and happy. Your day will be spent on a project outdoors, interspersed by a delicious lunch and once the project is complete there's time to say 'hello' to the animals. We provide you with tuition, tools, safety gear, risk assessments and motivation. Elsevier ltd from Exeter and Xylem from Axminster have regularly volunteered. They have made compost beds, clad an outdoor building, removed Himalyan Balsam and much more.

Tuesday volunteering.

On a Tuesday we invite local people to volunteer, mainly in the vegetable and fruit gardens which are used as an educational resource, under the supervision of our Ranger. You don't need to be skilled but a willingness to get involved is vital. It's a nice way to meet like-minded people, be out in the fresh air and make a difference. You receive a delicious lunch as a thank you.

“The team loved it. Everyone has come back and said how good it was and that they could see some real outcomes from the day. We’ll definitely return to Magdalen to support their vital work.” - Xylem Co-ordinator

If you would like to discuss a volunteering session on Magdalen Farm for your team, please give May or Rebecca a call on 01460 30144.

If you would like to volunteer on a Tuesday please contact us.

You & Your Family