Mentoring, Goats & Goals – Our Time at Riverside Farm 🐐✨

Community development work can take you to all sorts of interesting places—but we never imagined we’d be mentoring a young person while they walked a goat! Yep, you read that right.

The start of 2025 saw us at Riverside Farm, an alternative education setting for college-aged students with special educational needs (SEN). It’s a place where learning happens both in the classroom and out on the farm—with muddy boots, fresh air, and a whole lot of heart.

For five weeks, the InUnity team delivered group sessions tailored to what the young people needed most. We covered everything from personal safety to friendships, relationships, mental health, and future goals. Sessions were relaxed, flexible, and always shaped by the young people in the room (or the field!).

One powerful moment? When the group explored red flags in relationships and friendships—and then flipped the mirror to think about their own red flags. It was honest, reflective, and pretty inspiring.

Outside of group sessions, we also ran one-to-one mentoring—often while meeting Alpacas, chickens, and yes, goats. The young people shared their farm knowledge with us (we definitely learned a thing or two!) while we supported them to set small, achievable goals. For some, it was about carving out time for self-care. For others, it was about making steps toward academic goals. Every journey was different—and each one mattered.

The whole experience was eye-opening. It reminded us how powerful space and environment can be in shaping how young people engage, learn, and grow. Traditional education settings aren’t for everyone, and Riverside Farm showed us just how many valuable life skills can be learned outside four walls.

We feel lucky to have spent time in such a unique and empowering space. Thanks for having us, Riverside Farm—you (and your goats) are awesome.