Freightliners City Farm
A farm for Londoners
The London borough of Islington is the most densely populated borough in Britain with the least green space per head. Freightliners City Farm is an invaluable oasis in north London where local people can escape city life and enjoy a countryside-type environment. It’s open to everyone to take part in farming or gardening or simply enjoy the 2.5 acres.
We’re pleased to award £25,000 to Freightliners. Our grant will allow the farm to continue to provide hands-on visits for schools, holiday activities, volunteering opportunities, vocational training and work experience.
- The farm hosts an estimated 40,000 visits a year.
- In 2022, Freightliners volunteers contributed approximately 12,000 hours to help maintain, develop and open the farm for their community.
- 96% of volunteers and 88% of visitors said they felt less worried and anxious as a result of spending time on the farm.
Growing futures
Demand for Freightliners’ education and support services is higher than ever. Access to green space and nature is essential for our wellbeing and, as need increases, the farm is determined to maximise its support to local people. Our funding means that Freightliners will be able to provide its schools programme five days a week including guided visits for more than 60 classes and 27 drop-in school holiday sessions for families. They expect that 1600 children from inner city London will have an introduction to animals, nature and the outdoors, benefiting from real interactions and experiences which inspire further learning and interests.
Freightliners will also offer vocational training and work experience in animal care, gardening, environmental management and community work for young people and adults interested in careers in land based and green industries. Thirty-five young people will gain nationally recognised accreditation for their learning on the farm, supporting access to further education, training and employment.