Tag: LOVE Gorgie Farm

Alpaca parties headline new range of services at LOVE Gorgie Farm 

Edinburgh’s urban farm is marking the beginning of a new era as it announces a new range of services only two weeks after opening the site back to the public. 

LOVE Gorgie Farm, on the former Gorgie City Farm site, will offer a wide variety of activities, including birthday parties and pet boarding. On offer will be alpaca treks and birthday parties, and the farm can act as a venue for corporate gatherings and training events. 

The farm can also be rented as a venue for community events and fundraiser parties. 

Operated by education and social care charity LOVE Learning, most activities on the farm will nurture the organisation’s mission and consequently relate to education and social care. 

As such, the farm will offer animal volunteer sessions for people with additional support needs, hold animal care and animal handling activities, provide “farm to fork” workshops and use its education centre to impart its accredited training programmes. 

LOVE Gorgie Farm will also have a cuddle corner on the site, which can outreach to the community, including care homes and schools. 

Moreover, the urban farm is committed to providing services that align with LOVE Learning’s environmental portfolio and will build a climate change garden, host green conferences and provide innovative social prescribing therapies in partnership with the NHS. 

The urban farm is organising sponsorship packages to help fund the animals and the farm. Interested sponsors will be able to choose from a wide range of options like animal sponsorship, birthday packages and corporate bundles. 

Lynn Bell, CEO of LOVE Learning said: “Now that the farm is back and running, we want to make sure we provide a wide range of activities that the community enjoys and ensure that we are financially sustainable, delivering enough funds to successfully run the farm.

 “By offering animal, environmental and education services, we will make sure that LOVE Gorgie Farm becomes more than an urban farm but rather an education and social hub with strong environmental credentials that welcomes all members of the community. 

“Aside from these new services, we are looking to launch sponsorship deals for people and businesses who want to be more involved and support the farm through their generous donations.” 

To the general public, the farm remains open seven days a week and it is free to visit, though donations are encouraged. 

Those interested in any of the services should contact LOVE Gorgie Farm at gorgie@l-o-v-e.org.uk or visit www.gorgiecityfarm.org.uk

Celebrations as LOVE Gorgie Farm opens its doors

LOVE Gorgie Farm, formerly Gorgie City Farm, opened its doors yesterday with a huge celebration and range of family-friendly activities.

Depute Lord Provost, Cllr Joan Griffiths, joined with a number of local celebrities including radio presenter Grant Stott, Hearts CEO Ann Budge and Hibs footballer Ryan Porteous, as well as Edinburgh and Scotland rugby players, politicians and council representatives.

Children (and adults too!) got the chance to feed the animals on the farm, which included pigs, sheep and goats, and took some newly arrived alpacas for a stroll.

There was also face-painting and a henna tattooist on hand, as well as entertainment for all, including tombola, music, a photo booth and much more.

Education and social care charity, LOVE Learning, took over the site of the former Gorgie City Farm in January after it went into liquidation in November last year.

LOVE Learning also organised a community consultation event, where visitors had the opportunity to tell the new operators about their hopes for the future of the urban farm.

The farm had been opened earlier than expected thanks to the assistance of hundreds of volunteers who assisted in the two weeks running up to the reopening.

The farm remains open seven days a week and will be free for visitors. LOVE Learning will keep using the site as an urban farm as part of its portfolio of environmental projects.

In addition, LOVE Gorgie Farm provides educational services to children through animal and forest therapy. It also provides a range of professional apprenticeships and Scottish Qualifications Authority awarded qualifications, as well as looking to be involved in organising social prescribing and wellbeing therapies in partnership with the NHS in the future.

Lynn Bell, CEO of LOVE Learning said: “We are incredibly excited to be opening LOVE Gorgie Farm much earlier than we anticipated, would like to thank those who came today and look forward to welcoming many more visitors through our doors.

“I would like to thank the hundreds of volunteers who have given up their valuable time to help get the farm up and running earlier than anticipated. We could not have done it without their crucial role.

“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 individuals.”

Depute Lord Provost, Cllr Joan Griffiths, said: “I was delighted to attend the opening and see the fantastic work that is going on, including a range of environmental and educational programmes.

“As a Council we look forward to working in partnership with LOVE Gorgie Farm going forward.”

Ann Budge, owner of Heart of Midlothian Football Club which has worked closely with the farm over the years said: “We are delighted to see the farm reopening as LOVE Gorgie Farm and look forward to establishing a positive relationship with LOVE Learning as the new operators.

“Like Hearts, the farm is at the very heart of the local community and we look forward to working with them.”

Sandy McCall Smith, author of the No. 1 Detective Agency and 44 Scotland Street books, among others, said: “I am aware of the major role that Gorgie City Farm, now LOVE Gorgie Farm, plays in the local community.

“It is wonderful news that it has been rescued. It brings animals and the countryside into the lives of so many children, young people and adults, who might otherwise feel cut off from such things. Put simply, LOVE Gorgie Farm does a great deal of good.”

LOVE Gorgie Farm to reopen tomorrow

LOVE Gorgie Farm, formerly Gorgie City Farm, is set to reopen this Saturday with a huge celebration and range of family-friendly activities.

A number of local celebrities including Hearts and Hibs footballers, Edinburgh and Scotland rugby players, politicians and Council representatives will also be attending the festivities.

From 11am-3.30pm children (and even adults!) will get the chance to feed the animals on the farm, which include pigs, sheep and goats, and can even take some newly arrived  alpacas for a stroll.

There will also be face-painting and a henna tattooist on hand, as well as entertainment for all, including tombola, music, a photo booth and much more.

Education and social care charity, LOVE Learning, took over the site of the former Gorgie City Farm in January after it went into liquidation in November 2019.

LOVE Learning has also organised a community consultation event, from 12pm-2pm, where visitors can tell the new owners about their hopes for the future of the farm.

The Farm has been opened earlier than expected thanks to the assistance of hundreds of volunteers who assisted in the two weeks running up to the reopening.

After the site opens its doors to the public it will remain open seven 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 provides educational services to children through animal and forest therapy. It also provides a range of professional apprenticeships and Scottish Qualifications Authority awarded qualifications, as well as looking to be involved in organising social prescribing and wellbeing therapies in partnership with the NHS in the future.

Lynn Bell, CEO of LOVE Learning said: “We are incredibly excited to be opening LOVE Gorgie Farm much earlier than we anticipated and we are hoping for a great turnout on Saturday.

“This will also provide the chance through our consultation exercise for the local community to provide its views on what people would like to see the farm used for in the future.

“I would like to thank the hundreds of volunteers who have given up their valuable time to help get the farm up and running earlier than anticipated. We could not have done it without their crucial role.

“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 individuals.”

Sandy McCall Smith, author of the No. 1 Detective Agency and 44 Scotland Street books, among others, said: “I am aware of the major role that Gorgie City Farm, now LOVE Gorgie Farm, plays in the local community.

“It is wonderful news that it has been rescued. It brings animals and the countryside into the lives of so many children, young people and adults, who might otherwise feel cut off from such things. Put simply, LOVE Gorgie Farm does a great deal of good.”

Mr McCall Smith has generously donated signed copies of his books for Saturday’s opening event.

Gail digs deep for LOVE Gorgie Farm

Gail Porter met staff and volunteers to help out yesterday in advance of LOVE Gorgie Farm reopening on 29th February. Edinburgh-born Gail, like many, has fond childhood memories of the farm. 

A call for volunteers was issued earlier this month to assist in bringing the former Gorgie City Farm back to life, ahead of the farm re-opening its doors to the public as LOVE Gorgie Farm on Saturday 29th February.

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

Gail said: “It was a pleasure to meet Lynn, the new team at LOVE Gorgie Farm and the volunteers, all of whom are working so hard to bring the farm back to life.

“Like many people in Edinburgh and Scotland, I was saddened to see Gorgie City Farm go into liquidation last year after having made so many memories in the farm as a child.

“I am very happy that a charity like LOVE Learning decided to take over it and can’t wait to see LOVE Gorgie Farm reopen again.”

Lynn Bell, CEO of LOVE Learning said: “We are delighted to have welcomed Gail into the farm ahead of our grand reopening and glad to have learnt how much the site meant to her.

“We know how treasured and important the farm was the community and we want to bring this back to the people of Edinburgh as soon as possible.

“We are overwhelmed with the positive support LOVE Gorgie Farm has received from everyone since we announced we were taking over it last month. We are still looking for volunteers to come next weekend as there is a lot of work to get done prior to opening the farm doors on the 29th of February.”

Interested volunteers can still help on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd February and those looking to do so should email Gorgie@l-o-v-e.org.uk