Our Founders

"Nestled in the Cherwell Valley floodplain, a stone’s throw away from Oxford City, lies our farm. Here, our land thrives under the tender care of natural farming practices, devoid of any chemicals or pesticides. Our unwavering commitment to environmental sustainability and the preservation of natural biodiversity sets us apart..."

A Vision Rooted in Nature and Community

Willowbrook Farm Charity was born from the extraordinary journey of Dr Lutfi and Ruby, a husband-and-wife team who transformed their vision of sustainable living into reality.

In 2002, Lutfi, then a lecturer in the School of Geography at Oxford University, and Ruby, a trained holistic therapist with a background in psychology and teaching, made a life-changing decision. They left behind their careers and the city life of Oxford to move their young family to a piece of desolate farmland in the Cherwell Valley.

Their dream was simple yet profound: to live in harmony with nature, rear animals ethically, nurture biodiversity, and create a peaceful space for their family. Over two decades, they faced immense challenges—learning farming from scratch, enduring financial hardships, and overcoming racial prejudice and isolation. Despite these obstacles, their determination, guided by both academic knowledge and spiritual principles, helped them build Willowbrook Farm into a thriving example of sustainable farming and ethical living. Today, they even live in a home made of mud they built themselves, embodying their philosophy of living lightly on the Earth.

A Charity for Everyone

Inspired by their journey and the knowledge they gained, Lutfi and Ruby established Willowbrook Farm Charity in 2018. Their goal was to share their experiences and teach sustainable farming, environmental stewardship, and biodiversity conservation to others.

Although Lutfi and Ruby are a Muslim family whose faith informs their values of compassion, respect, and ethical living, Willowbrook Farm Charity was created to be inclusive and welcoming to all—regardless of faith, background, or social status.

"Our charity stands firmly for equality, diversity, and access for everyone. We believe that the natural world belongs to us all, and that learning how to care for it should be open to everyone, no matter who they are or where they come from."

Through Willowbrook Farm Charity, Lutfi and Ruby wish to continue to inspire people of all ages and backgrounds to reconnect with nature, learn sustainable ways of living, and become stewards of the Earth for future generations.

Ruby Radwan

Hypno-Psychotherapist & Holistic Health Practitioner

Ruby brings over 30 years of experience as a Holistic Hypno-Psychotherapist to her role as co-founder of Willowbrook Farm Charity. Her deep understanding of mental and emotional wellbeing, combined with training in psychology, aromatherapy, reflexology, and hypnotherapy, adds a unique and vital dimension to the charity’s work.

Ruby designs and leads many of our wellbeing-focused programmes, including those addressing eco-anxiety, nature-based social prescribing, and therapeutic engagement with the natural world. Her client-centred, integrative approach ensures our projects are sensitive to the complex needs of participants and rooted in healing, resilience, and self-awareness.

In addition to her therapeutic background, Ruby is also highly experienced in animal care and leads all goat-related activities at the farm. Her expertise in working with goats enables hands-on learning experiences that teach compassion, responsibility, and sustainable livestock care.