Tag: Gorgie City Farm

New staff appointed to lead project to secure a future for Gorgie City Farm

Since it was announced that EVOC was to lead the drive to find a sustainable community-led future for the Gorgie City Farm site, extensive work has been going on behind the scenes to deliver on that goal. 

The Gorgie Farm Site Steering Group have now appointed a Project Manager to help lead this work and look forward to Suzanne Campbell taking up the role from mid-July. Suzanne comes with extensive experience in service management with a particular focus on children, young people and families.

Suzanne Campbell (Project Manager) commented: “I am delighted to be appointed Project Manager of the Gorgie Farm Site Development and am looking forward to working with the Gorgie community, local organisations and a range of other stakeholders to develop a strong sustainable plan for the future of the site.

“The immeasurable passion, connection and impact Gorgie City Farm has had on people and the community is already clear to me and I cannot wait to capture more stories and get started.”

Cat Young will be working alongside Suzanne in the role of Partnership Facilitator, leading on participation and engagement for the project. Cat has a range of experiences to bring from her time working with Thrive Edinburgh – the innovative new strategy for improving the mental health and wellbeing of all citizens in Edinburgh.

Cat Young (Partnership Co-ordinator) said: “As a Gorgie resident I know first-hand how important this community-led project is and I look forward to working closely with Suzanne to continue the conversations that have already started around securing the site’s future.

“A key priority for the Steering Group is looking at ways to allow people to benefit from this green city space while the project develops. As a first step, Gorgie Farm Gardeners Group have been able to come back and start work on the gardens – bringing it back to life.” 

In the meantime the Steering Group has been meeting monthly to to discuss operational and strategic matters. Working with Bridie Ashrowan, EVOC’s Chief Executive, they have been responding to offers of help and interest and building connections with both local and citywide organisations, businesses, and networks – particularly in Gorgie and Darly, where there is a long-standing network of local community organisations.

Bridie Ashrowan commented: “It has been a hugely busy couple of months managing a range of safety and maintenance issues on the Gorgie City Farm site, but the offers of help and levels of interest in the project have been really moving.

“Now that we have Suzanne and Cat on the team we can move onto the next phase of the project – they both have lots of experience helping people and communities to influence the design of community spaces and services, and will play a key role in working towards a sustainable and visionary future for the site.

“We are planning some engagement events for the local community to help do that and will share details of these very soon.”

Regular updates about the Gorgie City Farm site project are available on the EVOC website including a set of frequently asked questions.

EVOC to lead project to save Gorgie City Farm

One of Edinburgh’s leading third and voluntary sector organisations is set to take forward plans to find a sustainable community-led future for the Gorgie City Farm site.

Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations Council (EVOC) has agreed to manage a community-led project to find a possible solution, following discussions with the City of Edinburgh Council after the closure of the site last month.

EVOC is one of three partners that make up Edinburgh’s TSI (Third Sector Interface), helping to support and develop the city’s community and voluntary sector, with a role to develop robust solutions and approaches that underpin strong organisations.

Their role will not be to run the farm, but to work with local community, and all stakeholders. This will result in a stronger plan for Gorgie City Farm to re-open, with a strong sustainable plan for the future.

The first step will be for EVOC to bring together a Steering Group – expected to include representatives from the local voluntary sector, campaign groups, the local community and the Council – to work on identifying proposals that could secure its future.  

The partnership Steering Group will start from the principle that it will bring together city experts in key respective fields, to support local volunteering through to organisations who have social enterprise aspirations, and connect these together.

Bridie Ashrowan, Chief Executive of EVOC, said: “We understand that Gorgie City Farm is very important to the Gorgie and the wider Edinburgh community, the many people who have visited, volunteered or worked there, and the City of Edinburgh Council.

EVOC has a long history of supporting community and voluntary organisations, helping them to get established, to grow and assess how to develop, and being the honest broker, to focus minds on the task ahead. 

“We are committed to taking a community led approach to this project, learning from other successful collaborations in the City.

!We have no vested interest in the future of the Gorgie Farm site and will step back if and when a community-led partnership has been established, through the work of the steering group. This will lay the ground work for Gorgie Farm site having a fighting chance of long term viability.”

Council Leader Cammy Day said: “I’m delighted we’ve got EVOC on board for the Gorgie City Farm site as they have a proven track record in supporting local organisations that need expert advice. At the heart of the work they will be taking forward are options for a community-led, collaborative and financially sustainable future for the site.

“I want to thank everyone who has been working so hard both publicly and behind the scenes to find a solution. The work by the campaign groups, volunteers and other partners has been really impressive and shows the strength of feeling towards this valuable community asset which benefits all communities across the city.

“I’m sure the coming months will be exciting times as EVOC brings people, groups and organisations together to look at options for a sustainable future for the Gorgie City Farm site.  I look forward to them presenting a sustainable vision for the future of Gorgie City Farm to the local community soon so everyone in the city can enjoy all it has to offer for years to come.”

Volunteers needed to bring LOVE back to Gorgie Farm!

The new folk at Gorgie City Farm are seeking volunteers to assist in bringing the popular visitor destination back to life, ahead of the farm opening its doors again to the public as LOVE Gorgie Farm on Saturday 29th February. 

LOVE Learning, an education and social care charity that supports vulnerable individuals by using innovative ways to engage them in learning, announced it was taking over the city farm in January after the farm went into liquidation in 2019. 

The charity is now looking for volunteers to help prepare the site in time for its official opening date at the end of the month. Activities for the volunteers will consist of organising and tidying up the site to make it presentable and safe for both the public and the animals. 

Volunteer days will take place from 10 am – 3:30 pm over the course of the next two weekends: 15th, 16th and 22nd, 23rd of February. Volunteers do not have to stay the whole day, even an hour would be great. 

After the site opens its doors to the public it will remain open 7 days a week and will be free for visitors. LOVE Learning intends to keep using the site as a city farm as part of their portfolio of environmental projects. 

In addition, LOVE Gorgie Farm will procure educational services to vulnerable children through animal and forest therapy.

It will also provide a range of professional apprenticeships and Scottish Qualifications Authority awarded qualifications, as well as organise social prescribing and wellbeing therapies in partnership with the NHS.

Lynn Bell, CEO of LOVE Learning, said: “We are delighted to have taken responsibility for Gorgie City Farm. LOVE Learning know how treasured and important the site is for the community and we want to bring this back to the people of Edinburgh as soon as possible. 

“We are asking anyone that might have been involved with Gorgie City Farm in the past, may have a fond childhood memory of the farm or that simply wants to come and give us a hand to contact us ahead of the opening. 

“There is a lot of work to get done prior to opening the farm doors on the 29th of February and the local community, businesses and volunteers will be key for the farm to thrive and achieve its full potential. 

“After we get the farm up and running on the 29th we will put in place volunteer activities for those looking to continue to be involved with our LOVE Gorgie Farm project going forward.” 

Volunteers are advised to bring lunch and wear old clothes and mud resistant boots!

Anyone looking to volunteer should contact LOVE Learning at

 Gorgie@l-o-v-e.org.uk

New operator for Gorgie City Farm

LOVE learning, a charity that supports vulnerable individuals using ways to innovative ways to engage them in learning, is to take over the City of Edinburgh Council site previously occupied by Gorgie City Farm, which went into liquidation in November last year.

The new operation will be known as LOVE Gorgie.

Lynn Bell, CEO of LOVE learning said: “We are incredibly excited to be taking on such a treasured resource as Gorgie City Farm. At LOVE learning we seek to improve the education and life chances of vulnerable children, young people and adults, as well as their families.

“Not only will the farm remain open seven days a week and remain free, but we will provide a range of exciting education, environmental and social care programmes supporting vulnerable children and adults.

“This will include learning programmes within a newly-established skills academy, social prescribing, animal therapy and employability projects.

“In addition, our educational centre will engage with local communities on environmental programmes around farming and food production and our intention is to have a food bank and social enterprise café. It will be a real community hub.

“We would like to commend the massive community support and fully recognise the love there clearly is for Gorgie City Farm. We cannot wait to get in and to work with the Council and other key stakeholders to get it up and running.”

Liquidator Shona Campbell of MHA Henderson Loggie led the search for a new operator for the site on behalf of City of Edinburgh Council. 

Shona Campbell said: “I am pleased to have secured such a positive outcome for Gorgie City Farm. As well as financial security we were looking for an operator with the vision and experience to breathe new life into the site and uphold the values treasured by the community.

“As liquidator I have been responsible for the continuing welfare of the animals on site throughout the search period and I am very grateful to the retained staff for all their support. I wish Love Learning every success for the future.”

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “I’m delighted that there has been such a successful outcome for the future of this much-loved community asset.

“LOVE learning’s proposal meets the community’s aspirations for what continues on the site – free for families to visit, open seven days a week and supporting and providing opportunities for vulnerable young people and adults.

“It buys into the values of volunteering, education, farming, supporting everyone in our communities as well as providing a sustainable and financially secure future for the site.

“When the farm closed in November, I know many people worried this would be the end of such a unique venue. However, I’ve been hugely grateful for the outpouring of support and for everyone who has rallied round to get the farm back for our city.

“I would like to put on record my thanks for all the hard work Shona and her team have put in over the past few months to reaching this great outcome. We’re really looking forward to working with Love Learning in providing a fantastic facility for everyone to enjoy.”

Tree-mendous! Heartfelt Tree rekindles Christmas spirit

Gorgie farmIMG_9002Two local social enterprises – Run Native and Gorgie City Farm – are working together in the run up to Christmas in a bid to spread the message that ethical shopping and community enterprise make sense.

Run Native is a collective online marketplace that helps customers find ethical buys and ethical producers find customers, while Gorgie City Farm is a long established farm and family attraction in the heart of the Edinburgh.

Each year Christmas trees are sold at Gorgie City Farm to raise funds for the farm. This year they have teamed up with Run Native to dress a one-off festive tree with hand-crafted hearts sourced from Run Native’s supplier One World Shop, making it the first “heartfelt” tree in Edinburgh.

Run Native Marketing Executive Deborah Rees said: “We are delighted to be working with Gorgie City Farm to highlight our social enterprises this Christmas. The aim is to highlight the difference between us and the high street – all the profits are reinvested back into the community. So, in a nutshell, it’s business with a big heart.”

Deborah added: “Our Run Native online store attracts shoppers from across the UK and beyond with a wide range of luxury goods as well as smaller items to suit all budgets. We make it easy to find cool and covetable products that may be difficult for the average shopper to find on the high street from snowboarding beanies, hand-made macaroons, bespoke furniture with the added benefit that they are supporting and strengthening communities when they shop with us.”

Roz Angus, Manager, Gorgie City Farm, said: “We recognise the benefits of working with other social enterprise businesses like Run Native and getting the ethical message out there that social enterprise is creative and fun. We have been at the heart of the community here for 30 years and like to bring some festive fun to the farm, so the “heartfelt” tree definitely contributed to that.”