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Coronavirus - info for visitors and service users at Ouseburn Farm - 17th September 2020

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An update from our Ouseburn Farm family.

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Following the introduction of new restrictions in the North East of England, effective Friday 18th September, we are requesting that: 

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1) Visitors to our farm should not socialise with others outside of their family groups - groups of visitors should be from one household. 

2) Visitors should attend the farm in groups of no more than 6 people, including children and infants.

3) Where possible, adult visitors should wear a face covering when visiting.

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Our cafe (open weekends) will be operating as a takeaway only service - you can still order takeaway items from the cafe hatch located in our garden. 

 

Opening Hours

Our opening hours will be 11 am - 3 pm, Tuesday - Sunday. To ensure we’re able to limit the number of visitors on-site at any one time and maintain strict social distancing, we have introduced a ticketed entry system with one-hour slots available to book online on our website at www.ouseburnfarm.org.uk/whatson.

 

How will the ticketed entry system work?

Slots will be available to book at 11am, 11.30am, 12pm, 12.30pm, 1pm, 1.30pm and 2pm. There will be a maximum of 8 tickets per half hour slot, available for adults and children who are aged 3 or over. Infants and toddlers can come along too - you just need to book a free ticket for them. 

 

We are introducing a temporary entrance fee of £3.50 per ticket to help support our charity with the costs of reopening and reduced footfall. This is something we are reluctant to do, however, like most charities, this is an extremely challenging time for us and the financial implications of closure during what is usually our busiest period are considerable. 

 

To support our local community, we’ll also be introducing free slots for local residents on Tuesdays. If you live in the NE6 1__ or NE1 2__ postcodes, you will be able to come along for free on Tuesday afternoons for the 1pm and 2pm slots - you just need to book your free ticket online and bring along something that shows where you live. 

 

Tickets and time slots can be purchased online at www.ouseburnfarm.org.uk/whatson

 

What will my visit be like?

There will be a one-way system around the farm, allowing you to see our animals and visit the garden. Included in the entrance fee will be an activity pack for children so they can get more from their visit. At our new ground floor cafe hatch you can order hot and cold drinks, cakes, and of course our famous sausage rolls! 

 

Unfortunately, you won’t be able to pet or stroke the animals at this time because of the risk of touching pens and enclosures. To maintain social distancing guidelines, the inside of the building will remain closed to the public, with the exception of toilet facilities and the small animal room.

 

When will the farm be back to normal?

We hope very soon! But of course, our key priority is to ensure the safety of our staff, visitors and volunteers. Even after we re-open with limited visitors, we still need to cover our essential costs of feeding and caring for our animals, maintaining our buildings, gardens and grazing. Charging an entry fee temporarily for this period will help us to cover our costs as we begin to get back to normal, and help ensure that the farm can revert to free entry soon. 

 

Our staff and volunteers can’t wait to welcome you back to Ouseburn Farm and we hope to see you soon!.