“Our food choices offer our greatest source of agency in a system which is broken for both consumers and growers.  Giving children this agency is a quietly radical gift that has the power to transform not just their relationship with nature, but their physical and mental health.  As we start to face up to the poly-crises unfolding in our world, projects like these are going to become a key part of the solution.” 

Sarah Langford, Author of Rooted – How Regenerative Farming Can Change the World

The following plans are brought to you with the generous support of award winning Kent-based designers:

Hollaway Studios

Hollaway is an award winning architecture and interiors practice that places people and feeling at the core of its philosophy of architecture.

With studios in London and Kent and a strong reputation for design, the practice is working in a wide range of sectors including hospitality, hotels, restaurants, education and housing, and in recent years has worked on a number of large scale regeneration projects.

Guy Hollaway is the founder and Principal Partner of Hollaway Studio which has won 9 RIBA awards. The Practice consists of over 40 staff based in both London and Kent.

Working drawings…

Please note that these are draft plans, detail is not finalised.

The market garden plot is not included in this plan.

Bodsham Church of England Primary School is situated adjacent to the kitchen garden allowing direct access as indicated in the Proposed Masterplan.

“One of the key issues for me is the separation of health and education…

I strongly believe that you can rebuild schools to naturally promote health as well as attainments.”

Russell Viner, professor of adolescent health at UCL’s Institute of Child Health, describes a “youth mental health emergency.”

“Schools have the power to foster community cohesion and counter division… they should be building links with businesses and other public services as well as providing a resource for the families that live around them.

The best schools are already breaking down the barriers.”

Times Education Commission 2022

“The tendency for adolescents is to look inward, so you really need lots of things to push you out of yourself. Kids need those things to help them feel ‘I’m part of something else.’”

Jane Lennon Chairwoman
Coalition for Youth Mental Health in Schools

Starting with the land

Agro-ecologist and permaculture grower, Ed Kyrke Smith, aka. Rebel Farmer will lead on engagement with the landscape at The Yard. Taking a whole system approach to providing local and visiting people with a new way of supporting local nature recovery and landscape transformation by supporting local, seasonal produce. His ambitious forward thinking approach will set  targets to decarbonise the local food system working with Kent’s Food Partnership, a multi stakeholder ambition working closely with the University of Kent. 

Ed intends to create a local traineeship for young adults at The Yard, providing access for those that would like to explore livelihoods in ecological food production. Trainees would support the production in the kitchen and market gardens at The Yard, seeing the fruits of their labour translate into food served and sold at the destination pub.

This exciting new demonstration and productive design will provide a site with the capability to educate people of all ages and abilities, building a curriculum that holds food at its centre and delivers for the local community.

Working very closely with Bodsham Primary School but also facilitating visits from other local schools, organisations and businesses, Ed will help lead the advocacy of the project. This will also provide the adjoining pub with the very best in seasonal produce.

Ed Kyrke Smith - Rebel Farmer Advisor and Permaculture Lead

The above photo is of Ed’s no dig plot at his smallholding 3 miles from Bodsham.

Ed began this plot establishing flourishing permaculture market garden from scratch using no dig principles and nature recovery principles.

Sustainability

Permeating every aspect of The Yard

  1. Incorporating environmentally sustainable energy sources and waste management through the immediate site design.

  2. Employing regenerative practices for land management and food production, supporting land recovery and carbon capture.

  3. Working with like minded local producers and suppliers.

  4. Contributing to and supporting the local food network through Kent’s Sustainable Food Places and stakeholder engagement.

  5. Leading to generational scaling of sustainable methods through education, training and community engagement.

Addressing UN Sustainability Goals:
Goals 3&4: Good Health and Wellbeing, Quality Education

Goals 10,11,12 & 15: Reduced Inequalities, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Responsible Consumption and Production, Life on Land.