Summary
This project aims to improve the facilities available for visitors and for volunteers at the city farm by providing four additional sheltered spaces:- Interaction centre – to better engage visitors through demonstrations (eg sheep shearing, hoof trimming); exhibitions (permanent wall displays and temporary touring exhibits); talks and training (eg teacher training, expert talks); small animal interactions (eg handling ferrets, hamsters).
- Seating canopy – covered area for visitors to reduce the impact of inclement weather, expands seating available to café customers (greater sustainability for organisation).
- Workshop – tools, storage, fabrication, repairs – primarily a volunteer space
- Garden workroom – space to wash, weigh, bag up produce before going on sale; primarily a volunteer space.
Benefits of the project
These developments will create 200 square meters of useful covered spaces at the city farm that can be enjoyed by the public including volunteers. The benefits of this project span across individuals, the community and the organisation. The differences this project will make are
- For the local community
- A more engaging local resource that will increase visitors knowledge of food, farming and the environment.
- A greater awareness and involvement in environmental issues.
- More sheltered space to enhance enjoyment of the green ‘oasis’ of the farm.
- Additional community spaces for groups to use outside regular visitor hours.
- Increased pride in a well-loved community centre.
- For volunteers and work placements
- Greater productivity and greater satisfaction from working in an improved environment.
- Improved access to the workshop and garden workroom enabling more volunteers with support needs to participate and contribute to the organisation
- Increased ownership of space through seeing their ideas realised.
- Less weather dependence on undertaking tasks: greater interest and engagement.
- For the Farm (and so support to the other charitable work that we do)
- Improved facilities to achieve our educational mission
- Better able to support diverse volunteer groups (social mission)
- Improved efficiency in looking after the site and surrounding environment
- Attracting people through greater range of weather conditions (more sustainable)
The new spaces will be re-wired and fitted out with highly efficient LED lighting, reducing the current electricity usage considerably. The displays in the interactive centre will improve our ability to deliver the environmental education messages central to our mission.
