皇冠体育app

皇冠体育app minister took a trip out to Hackney to see how the farm and others like it enable young people who live in built up urban areas to get a taste of farming skills.

皇冠体育app farm - a not for profit social enterprise - is in a very urban area just outside the historic City of London.

In the farm鈥檚 award winning cafe the minister met some of Hackney鈥檚 young residents who have learnt farming skills and an awareness of 鈥榗ountryside鈥� matters. He also met Hackney City Farm manager Chris Pounds and chief executive of the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens Jeremy Iles, who explained how the work of the city farm contributes to the government鈥檚 鈥楤ig Society鈥� agenda.

(MS Word Document, 24 KB)

Communities Minister Andrew Stunell said:

鈥淗ackney City Farm shows what communities can achieve when they are given the freedom to get involved. It fits well with the government鈥檚 Big Society agenda.

鈥淚 am pleased to see that Hackney City Farm both supports and is supported by its local community. 皇冠体育app farm gives 50,000 visitors a year, its volunteers, children and young people, the opportunity to see and take part in activities that are not part of every day urban life聽- and it鈥檚 fun too.

鈥溁使谔逵齛pp coalition government is keen to see the continued greening of our urban areas. That is why we have given more powers to local authorities to decide what is right for their area with regard to 鈥榞arden grabbing鈥� planning applications.聽 We are committed to maintaining the green belt, Sites of Special Interest and creating a new designation to protect green areas of particular importance to local communities.鈥�

Hackney City Farm Manager Chris Pounds said:

鈥淥ver the past 20 years we have seen the benefit our city farm brings to the community. From food education to bringing people together, city farms in urban areas around the country are important resources in their communities.聽We have been very pleased to show the minister around our exciting project.鈥�

Nepthali Williams, aged 17, who has been volunteering at the farm for 5 years said:

鈥淗ackney City Farm has helped me build my confidence, not only to work with animals, but to speak to the farm鈥檚 many visitors. My ambition is to be a farmer or open my own city farm. 皇冠体育app farm is very community based. It is about widening people鈥檚 understanding and that is why it is run; I鈥檓 glad to be part of it.鈥�

Jack Coppendale, aged 20, farm volunteer said:

鈥淗ackney City Farm has helped me gain experience to further my education and has given me an ambition to become a farmer.聽I have been here a year now and every day there is something different to do and learn. You gain confidence in working with the public and you can give your knowledge back to the community.鈥�

Kerry Wotton, aged 19, undertaking work experience at the farm said.

鈥溁使谔逵齛pp city farm helps the local community, especially young kids, to learn where their food really comes from; to appreciate the work that goes into growing food and rearing animals.聽It鈥檚 not just from the supermarket!鈥�

To find out if there鈥檚 a city farm near you,聽visit the

Photographs of the visit are available from the