The festive season is a great time for clichés and not wanting to be left out I thought I might ‘reflect on this challenging year’ at the city farm. It’s been a balancing act between our overwhelming desire to fulfil our mission to help local people and to safeguard the organisation’s survival. Lockdowns, tier systems and ever-changing regulations have disrupted our lives and torn through our usual revenue streams.
We have managed to find some silver linings among the clouds this year.
Our front garden big top served so well as our café through the summer that we’re thinking to keep it in place for events all year round.
We won £34,000 from Enovert, backed up with a 10% match from our community, to transform the old orchard into a great new space – educational by day; recreational by night.
We’ve been happy to welcome three new tenants on site, including Playing Out, who we hope to do some on-street activity with, once the restrictions lift.
And we stayed in touch with over 200 vulnerable people we support even when they couldn’t come on site, and rearranged the nursery so 200 families can safely access care for their children.
We’ve been buoyed up and humbled by some of the fantastic messages we’ve received on social media and by the feedback from the groups of people we’ve been able to help through this crisis.
What’s been really impressive is how our people – staff, volunteers, community – have pulled together to help each other, and us, through it all. We’re not in the clear yet and we anticipate helping – and needing help from – all our people in the months to come.
Thank you all for your support this year and I wish you all a healthy and happy year to come.
Ways you can help the farm this festive season
Buy your gifts from The City Farm Shop or purchase one of our beautifully designed gift vouchers.
Try to keep it local, but if you must buy from Amazon – Shop AmazonSmile and Amazon donates to Windmill Hill City Farm Limited, at no cost to you.
Become one of our regular donors. Just a small amount a month will make a big difference to the farm and you’ll get all sorts of special perks.
Buy one of our special raffle tickets and not only contribute to our festive fundraising appeal, but also be in with a chance of winning some very fancy vintage champagne.
