How animals at Stepney City Farm are helping older people to look after their mental health

How animals at Stepney City Farm are helping older people to look after their mental health

Loneliness has become an epidemic.

While we’re told we’re more connected than ever – we’ve got phones, the internet, social media – so many of us still feel desperately alone.

And while this is having a hugely negative affect on millennials, it’s even more of an issue for the older generation.

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Left in care homes, separated from their partners, and losing friends, a massive portion of the elderly can go ages without any form of real human connection. They feel isolated, depressed, and utterly alone.


There’s no easy solution. But there are ways we can help.

Furry Tales is one program stepping up to offer older people and those with mental health issues some much needed support.

(Picture: Ellen Scott/metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Ellen Scott/metro.co.uk)

As part of Stepney City Farm, Furry Tales is a program that provides older adults with animal-assisted therapy.



Members of the group come down to the farm once a week and spend time with rabbits, ferrets, goats, and donkeys.

It’s more than just stroking a bunny’s ears to relax, to be clear (as soothing as that is in itself).

The sessions are guided by Merlin Strangeway and Jane Plimmer, along with other volunteers, who help to encourage conversation, teach participants about animal care and nature, and make sure everyone’s comfortable.

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The project was originally set up by Ione Rojas, who worked at Stepney City Farm up until March 2016. She was inspired by her own love of animals to bring their therapeutic effects to the lives of older people, who may be isolated and house-bound with limited access to the outside world.

At first the animals were taken into the care homes.

Now, Furry Tales holds a weekly club where older people can visit to get out of the house, spend some time with animals, and have a chat with new friends.

(Picture: Ellen Scott/metro.co.uk)

‘We work mainly with older adults (over the age of 60) who experience loneliness and social isolation, including those who have a diagnosis of dementia and/or other mental and physical health conditions,’ Jane tells metro.co.uk.

‘Animals provide non-judgmental, unconditional companionship; stir memories and stimulate conversations.

‘They also offer physical and emotional comfort and sensory contact for people who may otherwise have scarce physical contact with others.

‘Additionally, by enabling older people to form and maintain their social connections with animals, nature, the farm and each other, Furry Tales endeavours to promote independence, improve mood and help to alleviate isolation.’

And it works.

(Picture: Ellen Scott/metro.co.uk)

We visited the farm and met Jean, who’s been attending the sessions for months.

After moving into a home, Jean’s been unable to adopt a cat (following years of being a cat owner), so comes to Furry Tales every week to get some time stroking animals.

Along with the rabbits, who Jean adores, there are also cats roaming around the farm – so Jean is able to embrace her inner cat lady, even if it’s only once a week.

(Picture: Ellen Scott/metro.co.uk)

Merlin tells us stories of another member of the Furry Tales club, who was terrified of animals before she started coming to the sessions. Now she’s a fan of the ferrets, happily letting them rest in her arms and climb in pockets.



We watch as people who struggled to introduce themselves open up when a basket, filled with a peaceful rabbit, is placed on their lap. We watch scared, anxious faces turn into surprise, happiness, and comfort as they stroke a bunny’s ears or peer in at the goats.

It’s amazing what a difference a little time with animals can make – and how easily an animal’s twitching nose can open up the conversation and make people feel less alone.

The sessions are varied, and it’s open to the participants to control the pace.

(Picture: Ellen Scott/metro.co.uk)

They can involve observation of rabbits, guinea pigs, ferrets, and chickens, animal handling, grooming, and stroking, making toys for the animals, learning about nature, doing quizzes, playing bunny bingo (in which participants watch the rabbits and tick off behaviours), creating artwork, growing vegetables and plants, doing mini-tours of the farm to check in with the donkeys, goats, sheep, and pigs, and having refreshments while everyone has a laidback chat.

The animals are carefully selected from the farm for their comforting presence, so there’s no risk of a grumpy goat nipping at an elderly man just trying to stroke its nose.

‘We have 15 rabbits, seven guinea pigs, two ferrets and numerous chickens on the farm,’ Jane tells us.

(Picture: Ellen Scott/metro.co.uk)

‘All the animals have different personalities and we tend to select those who are more confident, sociable and outgoing, and those who are happy to be picked up, stroked, fed and groomed.

‘Additionally, we spend time socialising the animals and learning about their likes and dislikes.’


To find the human participants, Furry Tales has an outreach programme, which runs between six to eight weeks in length and takes place inside residential homes, hospital wards, and housing projects.

Once the programme’s all finished, the residents are invited along to the drop-in Furry Tales club at the farm every Friday.

(Picture: Ellen Scott/metro.co.uk)

Furry Tales also takes referrals from GPs, day care centres, nursing homes, and local authorities, who recommend anyone they feel could benefit from animal-assisted therapy.

People are also able to self-refer. Everyone who could benefit is welcome, basically.

And as all the people helping to facilitate the sessions is a volunteer, they benefit, too, getting the joy of socialising with the older generation along with the simple pleasure of wandering around a farm and spotting animals.

(Picture: Ellen Scott/metro.co.uk)

Some of the volunteers at Stepney City Farm are ex-service personnel, ex-offenders adults with special education needs, victims of trauma, and corporate volunteers looking to gain confidence, learn news skills, and spend time with people. Furry Tales gives these volunteers a safe space to do that, whether they’re tasked with helping with the sessions or building a wheelchair accessible ferret enclosure.

It’s all wonderful, in ways that go far beyond the cuteness of a donkey gently munching on grass.*

*Although that is really bloody cute.

But for Furry Tales to keep going, to keep giving elderly people the comfort and social interaction they desperately need, the farm needs our help.

They’ve created a crowdfunder, in the hopes of raising enough money to keep the programme going and deliver outreach packages to introduce more people to Furry Tales.


If you fancy helping them out (and you really should), you can donate through Crowdfunder.

The farm is home to rabbits, pigs, donkeys, ferrets, a bunch of chickens, and goats

(Picture: Ellen Scott/metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Merlin Strangeway)

They recently welcomed five baby bunnies

(Picture: Merlin Strangeway)

Any visitors are welcome to wander round and meet the animals

(Picture: Ellen Scott/metro.co.uk)

And give them a stroke

(Picture: Ellen Scott/metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Ellen Scott/metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Ellen Scott/metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Ellen Scott/metro.co.uk)

(Picture: Ellen Scott/metro.co.uk)

It can be incredibly rewarding

(Picture: Ellen Scott/metro.co.uk)

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