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.

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.

Her rare combination of holistic therapy and practical farming knowledge helps shape programmes that are not only educational but transformative, nurturing wellbeing, connection to nature, and a deep sense of stewardship for the Earth.

*Image: Ruby Radwan & Jen - Operational Director

Dr. Lutfi Radwan was born and educated in the UK, earning a degree in Geography and Arabic from SOAS, University of London, before completing a PhD at Oxford University. He went on to lecture in Geography at Oxford while also working internationally as a researcher and consultant across the Middle East and West Africa. His specialism was agricultural development, with a focus on dryland reforestation and irrigated horticultural production, working with organisations such as the FAO, UNDP, and private sector development companies.

After many years of global work, Lutfi chose to bring his focus closer to home. Over 23 years ago, he and his wife Ruby sold their house and moved with their young family onto 45 acres of land in Oxfordshire. There, they established Willowbrook Farm, rooted in the principles of responsible stewardship, sustainability, and ethical farming. Today, Lutfi’s academic background, international expertise, and practical farming experience combine to make him an invaluable guide in the charity’s mission to educate and inspire the next generation of Earth stewards on sustainable and ethical farming practices.

*Image: Lutfi Radwan & Alpacino