CLASS ACTS

Hens as therapy

At the University of Roehampton in south-west London, an unconventional form of therapy waits between lectures, in the shape of twenty hens scratching around the campus coop. “Growhampton”, the student union’s food sustainability project, has kept hens since 2015, student volunteers feeding, watering and caring for the flock. Coordinator Hillary Nevyjel says the benefits are especially obvious among students feeling homesick, stressed or overwhelmed by the rigours of university life. “When you’re with the chickens, you switch off,” she says. “You’re just so present with them in the moment.” International student Reyna Pino, pictured, is studying for a Master’s in Human Rights. Reyna discovered the hens while spending summer on campus. She signed up to volunteer and says caring for them is “a self-care strategy”. “It encourages me to do different kinds of activity, connect with nature, and spend time outdoors,” says Reyna. “Each one has her own personality. They help me reduce stress and relax.” No doctor’s waiting room. No appointment. Just half an hour with the hens. Maybe there’s a lesson in there...

CITY SANCTUARY

At Heathrow Special Needs Centre,a small farm west of London, rehomed BHWT hens help children and adults with disabilities enjoy something many of us take for granted – a place where they can simply be themselves. Visitors aged five upwards come with carers to help feed the animals, clean enclosures and collect eggs. Some have complex needs, and for a few the weekly farm visit may be one of their only trips away from home. Trustee and volunteer Emily Hyde says the hens are especially popular with teenagers with autism.

Unlike larger farm animals, “they’re not intimidating – they’re naturally curious and often come to meet the visitors and see what’s going on. “The guinea pigs and rabbits can be quite shy, but the chickens mill around everyone,” she says. “They’re sociable and easygoing. Ideal, really.”

Got a therapeutic hen? Tell us her story at [email protected]