Story of Flowerdew 

 

Flowerdew was founded by Claire Ives—a farm director, storyteller, and life-long believer in the transformative power of nature, animals, and community.

 

The seeds of Flowerdew were planted long before Claire ever imagined running a farm. Growing up, disability and inclusion were part of everyday life. Her grandad was blind, and her mum became a leading braille expert and teaching assistant at the Royal London Society For The Blind. Claire spent her childhood volunteering alongside her, supporting as an art and animal-assisted therapy assisted, quietly absorbing the magic that happens when people are given time, space, and connection.

 

Life continued to shape Claire in unexpected ways. She later experienced a detached retina and spent a year living in near blindness herself—an experience that deeply shifted her understanding of vulnerability, patience, and resilience. In adulthood, she received an ADHD diagnosis, finally giving language to the way her mind had always worked.

 

Her other grandparents also left a lifelong imprint. Claire’s Grandad ran stables for the Riding for the Disabled Association, and her Nana devoted her career to the NHS as a nurse. With them, Claire witnessed how health support and animals offer freedom, confidence, and joy to people of all abilities. These early lessons never left her.

 

Alongside this personal journey, Claire built a creative career in Amsterdam, where she lived for 15 years working as a producer, writer, and filmmaker. Her work focused on marketing and events, impact-driven storytelling for brands, not-for-profits and environmental organisations such as The Seachange Project, Carpathia, and Save the Children. Claire as creative director also won best Best Advertisement, London  Fashion Film Festival 2021, for Louboutins Holiday countdown, including best LGBTI talent representation and led and ran many successful global campaigns for brands such as Netflix, Nike, Adidas and more. 

 

Yet no matter how busy life became, Claire never stopped volunteering. She campaigned for climate action through Hemp the Climate and poured her heart into dog rescue—becoming a devoted rescue mum and helping rehome countless dogs with Pets in Turkey. Volunteering gave her purpose and grounding, especially knowing her own family only thrived because of the support they received from Guide Dogs for the Blind.

 

Claire also trained in creative therapy, undertaking studies in nature and art therapy, and building on her years of experience in assisted animal interventions—often known as care and social famring and animal therapy. These studies deepened her understanding of how nature, creativity, and animals can support emotional, mental, and social wellbeing, forming a foundation that would later become the heart of Flowerdew.

 

But the years brought heartbreak. Claire lost her Nana and Mum to cancer, and later her Grandad to Covid. Combined with burnout from fast-paced creative work, everything reached a breaking point. She knew something had to change.So Claire packed up her life into a campervan and drove back to the UK. No fixed plan—just a fierce need to return to the land, to animals, to purpose, and to healing. What she found was a calling she had carried since childhood.

 

Flowerdew was built from that calling:a place where nature, animals, and community come together to support wellbeing, inclusion, and joy at any age. A place where people can slow down, breathe deeper, reconnect, and feel safe enough to rediscover their inner child. Claire’s life has been shaped by resilience, adventure, and an unwavering belief that connection, nature and animals heals. Nature saved her—and now she dedicates her work to offering support and a space to others.

 

Helping people brings her joy, humility, and a reminder that we can all grow stronger, just like the animals and landscapes around us. Flowerdew is more than a smallholding.

 

It’s a welcoming and safe space.

A community project.

 

A journey of healing—rooted in nature, shaped by compassion, and inspired by a family who taught Claire to see the world differently.

 

Why Flowerdew?

Flowerdew was Claire’s mum’s maiden name. Choosing it was not just a tribute—it was a way to honour her family, their legacy of compassion, and the gentle guidance they gave her throughout her life.

 

The name itself carries a poetic meaning:dew on flowers at dawn—new beginnings, gentleness, and hope.

 

Flowerdew is dedicated to them, and to everyone seeking a place to grow, heal, and reconnect with the natural world.