Access at Sadeh

 

 Summary:

 

The ground floor of our retreat center is wheelchair accessible, including a bathroom. We have one ground floor bedroom with level access that will be accessible to some wheelchair users. 

 

In reasonably dry weather our field can be wheelchair accessible, in very wet weather it’s less so.

 

At all our public events we welcome people to drop in and out as they please, and have space for resting. In general we are down to accommodate and adapt to a wide range of needs, if you get in touch in advance there’s more we can do! 

 

More detail:

 

 

Getting to Sadeh 

  • We are a 10 minute cab/taxi ride from our closest train station.

  • We have a Community Rideshare Board where volunteers can coordinate carpools and cabsharing to and from Sadeh. We will have one Sadeh Access Ride to and from Orpington Station at each volunteer day. Please email info@sadehfarm.co.uk to reserve your spot in advance!

  • Our closest train stations are Orpington (with express link to London Bridge) and Swanley (has better links to South London).

    • Both of these stations are about 3 miles away from Sadeh, which is up a country lane

    • Southeastern Rail can provide you with someone who will assist you on your journey with ramps and booking an accessible taxi from the station. While in principle it is possible to book this 2 hours ahead of time from a train station, they recommend you call them a few days in advance to set it up – 0800 783 4524.

  • Driving:

    • We have plentiful parking in front of the main house. It is a gravel lot connected to a level path which leads to the house. We will update this page with photos and a map shortly! 

  • There is an entirely tarmac back parking lot, immediately adjacent to the main house, with easy level access. The gate is shut for security reasons, but if you let us know we can leave it open for you.

 

Public events:

  • These happen on the ground floor of the main house, outdoors, and occasionally in a small outbuilding. 

  • Main house (where we host the indoor portion of all large events, with guest bedrooms on the 1st+2nd floors  and a conservatory for dining/events on the ground floor):

  • The ground floor has full level access and a wheelchair accessible bathroom and shower.

  • The rooms are separated by non-automatically opening fire doors.

  • All non-residential (ie. not overnight) events only use the ground floor.

  • We have one bedroom on the ground floor of the house with level access. It will be accessible to some wheelchair users and not others, get in touch for full specifications.

  • All public events at Sadeh have a space for quiet/naps/rest/solitude

  • We have a wide range of seating options, including chairs with handles, couches and benches.

Outdoors

  • Our field, which includes the chickens, vegetable beds, Havdalah Garden, and forest garden, is traversed by mown grass paths

  • When the weather is dry, the ground can be traversable on a wheelchair (depending on the chair). This is much easier when  it has been recently mowed. We are happy to mow before you come if you let us know a week in advance. We can also advise on the condition of the ground before you visit.

  • In wet weather it can get more uneven and muddy, potentially making it difficult to commute across. There are no completely level paths

  • The path between the main house and vegetable beds is the flatest and least prone to getting muddy, with the paths having some areas of steepness the further into the field you go.

  • We have lots of volunteer tasks to dole out that don’t require heading into the main field, and can take account of various areas of muddiness.

     

Volunteer Kitchen / “the  VK”

  • This is a small wooden building in the field which is the kitchen for the fellows on our fellowship programme.

  • We heat the VK in the winter by a wood burning stove.

  • In winter, and when the weather has been wet, the path down to this is generally muddy and slippery.

  • For virtually all events we can use the main house instead of the VK. Just let us know if this is your preference.

 Amongst other things, on request, we can:

  • Try to control for harsh chemical scents

    • Have any planned handouts ready in different formats like large print.

 

Culture

 

We have a wide range of activities to engage in, and will always try to find ways for each visitor to get involved in a way that suits their abilities and needs. We are a small team, which means we have limited human capacity, but also a lot of freedom and flexibility when it comes to tailoring programmes for participants. 

 

At any of our events you are welcome to take things at your own pace and drop in and out as you need to Animals, service or not, are welcome.

We will trust that you need what you say you do, and won’t require any evidence/ specific diagnosis. If it helps you to come, or makes your visit more enjoyable, we will try to make it happen. Email info@sadehfarm.co.uk with what might make the farm and participating at Sadeh accessible to you.