Community farm appeal to cover thousands in repairs

Staff at a community farm in Leeds have appealed for donations after a structural fault closed the main building.

Meanwood Valley Urban Farm on Sugar Well Road has lost over £18,000 since January through missed ticket sales and bookings, according to the team there.

The farm charity said repairs to the Epicentre building, where visitors buy tickets and refreshments, were expected to cost in the tens of thousands of pounds.

CEO Adam Ogilvie said: "As a charity, finances are always a challenging situation, so having this loss of income and finding the money for repairs is causing us big problems."

Established in 1980 as a city farm, Meanwood Valley Urban Farm welcomes about 20,000 visitors every year to the gardens, woodland and animal enclosure, as well as providing allotments, a community space and hosting schools.

But since major problems emerged with the roof of the timber-framed main centre, the building has had to close until temporary props are in place.

Ogilvie said the charity was in the process of applying for emergency funding to cover the expected £15,000 cost of these temporary works.

The repair bill meant other projects, such as new fencing for animals, must be put on hold, he said.

The charity also works with Leeds City Council's Adult Social Care department to provide placements in gardening, literacy and numeracy.

But the closure has meant adults with learning disabilities who volunteer at the farm cannot use the usual space.

Ollie Luikinga, an outdoor support worker at the farm, said: "It's been quite difficult. For everyone who comes here, routine is quite a big part in their day to day so having to move to a different space has been a massive shift."

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