The Ice Cream Farm wins Autism Friendly Award

Cheshire family attraction The Ice Cream Farm has been recognised by the National Autistic Society for creating an “autism-friendly environment” for visitors.

The UK’s leading charity for autistic people awarded the Tattenhall business an Autism Friendly Award, citing the “range of reasonable adjustments offered to autistic people, including SEN Exclusive Events & Sessions and a virtual queuing service” among the numerous grounds for its accreditation.

“We’re passionate about creating an inclusive play attraction and family experience for both those living in, and visiting, Cheshire,” said CEO and owner of The Ice Cream Farm, Jonathan Fell. 

“We have, and continue to invest heavily in our inclusive offering. So the Autism Friendly Award from the National Autistic Society has given us a real boost, proving that the changes we’re making to our business are best supporting autistic people; in particular young children, and their families.” 

The Ice Cream Farm has held monthly Special Educational Needs (SEN) sessions for many years. Recently, all members of the team have taken “autism awareness training”, and a fully-accessible toilet has been added to the site.

Christine Flintoft Smith, Head of Accreditation at the National Autistic Society, said: “The Ice Cream Farm should be exceptionally proud of their achievement. 

“There are approximately 700,000 autistic adults and children in the UK, as well as their three million family members and carers. Autism is a spectrum condition. This means autistic people have their own strengths and varying and complex needs, from 24-hour care to simply needing clearer communication and a little longer to do things. Without the right support or understanding, autistic people can become extremely isolated. 

“The Autism Friendly Awards highlight good autism practice and we are very pleased to mark The Ice Cream Farm’s achievement. It is a great thing in itself and, we believe, will inspire other businesses to improve the way they support autistic people.” 

By Easter the world’s largest ice cream shop (for which The Ice Cream Farm hold’s the world record) will have opened its new ordering system, with innovative and interactive screens to reduce queuing time and support the customer experience.

And a brand new, exclusive and inclusive play attraction is scheduled to open before the summer holidays, featuring wheelchair accessibility and sensory equipment.

“At The Ice Cream Farm we want to go further than our monthly SEN sessions and SEN visitor map,” said Mr Fell.

“That’s why we’re adding permanent attractions and inventive services to our site, which give visitors with special educational needs and disabilities a place to play and make family memories whenever they choose to visit.

“We’ve also partnered with Petty Pool College in Sandiway as our charity partner of the year for 2025, supporting their work to empower young people with learning disabilities and difficulties in Cheshire to reach their full potential through vocational training. The college’s aim is to get students into employment after three years, and we’re really happy to support that mission with work experience at The Ice Cream Farm.”

The Petty Pool College partnership sees students placed with their mentors in flexible roles alongside The Ice Cream Farm’s team, which develop their skills in everything from customer service to maintenance. Students are given an Ice Cream Farm uniform, and Petty Pool College audits each role to ensure its suitability.

Vice Principal at Petty Pool College, Gareth Edwards, said: “To say we have been blown away so far with our partnership would be an understatement.

“It’s been particularly fantastic to hear how the placements are a two-way process and not just an opportunity for our learners to develop their skills, but also a chance for The Ice Cream Farm’s team to learn from them. This level of collaboration and mutual growth is truly special.

“Our learners have felt valued and supported, developing not only their job-specific skills but also their confidence, communication, and independence. The inclusive and nurturing environment created by The Ice Cream Farm, alongside our learner mentors, has clearly allowed them to thrive. 

“We are truly grateful for the time, effort, and care that The Ice Cream Farm has put into making this placement such a success for our young people with SEND, as well as their fundraising efforts to help us purchase a minibus to transport our young people to their placements.”

The Ice Cream Farm is the largest employer of school children (aged 13-16) in Cheshire, following guidance from Cheshire West and Cheshire Council (CWAC) issued on individual child licenses.

“We employ a large number of young people at The Ice Cream Farm, with roles that suit those in education; as our peak trading times are weekends and school holidays,” said Managing Director Katie Lewis.  

“Recently we developed an internal programme to support anyone who wishes to gain unpaid work experience with us called ‘Start Up’. This is aimed at Cheshire high schools seeking work experience placements for their students, and offers hands-on experience in everything from customer service to attractions. The hope is to give our work experience candidates the opportunity to build new skills and gain confidence.”

Workshops have also been scheduled at The Ice Cream Farm alongside The Pledge Partnership, in a bid to support younger team members to find balance during what is often a stressful period of their lives.

“These sessions help our younger members of the team to learn to manage stress, improve communication, build resilience and boost their confidence,” added Mrs Lewis.