Firs Farm award winning wetlands and sports fields have thousands of visitors a year but has no toilets, refreshments, or indoor community space.
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Total raised so far £31,651
+ est. £3930.00
Supporters
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Our story
- The Friends of Firs Farm started as a small group of local residents in 2014 when Firs Farm was an under-used muddy field.
- Firs Farm wetlands project was a collaboration between Enfield Council, Environment Agency, Thames Water, Thames21 and The Friends; the first sustainable Wetlands (Sustainable Urban Drainage System) in North London.
- Since the official opening in 2016 volunteers have planted thousands of trees and shrubs, donned their waders & wellies to keep the water clean, litter-picked; working together to create and conserve the habitat whatever the weather!
- However, the lack of facilities is limiting access and how long people can stay.
Our Vision
To provide the essential facilities for our visitors and hardworking volunteers.
With the community hub we will be able to welcome even more people to this amazing blue-green space; which delivers so many benefits – which we summarise using the acronym H.E.R.B.S.
Then Covid struck
This delayed the granting of planning permission and all our fundraising stopped.
Meanwhile people continued to come to Firs Farm, with many telling us how much they appreciated having access to this tranquil green and safe oasis during the pandemic.
Covid highlighted the problems of social isolation and the need for people to spend more time out of doors for their mental and physical wellbeing.
Post Covid
Planning permission and lease have now been agreed with Enfield Council to construct an exciting, environmentally friendly community hub, on a disused site between the sports fields and the wetlands.
The Friends have already raised £200k from various bodies including Enfield Council, Sport England, Thames Water, the general public and a range of businesses, who all see the enormous benefits this community hub can deliver.
How YOU can Help
We need to find an additional £100k for the Hub to be built by the end of the year as required by sponsors.
YOU can help us by donating NOW to create an amazing community hub
How We Will Use Funds
We will build the community hub which will be run as a social enterprise, with profits ploughed back into securing the future of Firs Farm wetlands; encouraging more local people to ‘Get Out & Get Active’ and providing a valuable environmental learning space.
The Hub will provide:
- Essential facilities, including the Changing Places Toilet
- A welcoming place for people to meet up, with flexible community space that can be used for educational, fitness, social and other activities.
- The Café will serve fresh, locally sourced hot and cold food, drinks and refreshments.
- A place to learn more about the importance of urban wetlands to our wellbeing and that of the planet.
- The facilities provided by the Hub will be pivotal in regenerating the under-used sports pitches adjacent to the wetlands & community hub. There is a shortage of playing pitches with facilities in the local area. Help us create a great space for the girls and the boys to play football and other team sports!
- We will resume and expand our educational programmes and community events at Firs Farm including a summer festival, our famous Halloween activities and National Children’s Day.
- We want to install a sensory room inside the hub and create a sensory garden linking to the wetlands when funds permit.
Why this is URGENT
Unless we have an operational hub by the 31st December we risk losing funding, which puts the whole project at risk.
We believe this is achievable if YOU can help raise funds in the next 90 days.
So we are asking you to please donate what you can to help make this vision a reality. Together we can do it!
Because one good turn deserves another
Rewards
To thank you for your support we have put together some rewards.
Please pledge what you can, then post on social media and help spread the word by telling your friends, family and neighbours about Firs Farm Wetlands.
We look forward to welcoming you to Firs Farm Community Hub in 2023
You can find more information about Firs Farm Wetlands in the video links below. Enjoy :)
2016 Award Winning Wetlands - https://youtu.be/8IIjmWhtVUY
2019 The Wetlands matures - https://youtu.be/8iGYFbF0Vuk
2020 Environmentalist, Louise - A tour of Firs Farm Wetlands - https://youtu.be/IKFLyowE0TY
More footage to share with you - https://youtu.be/4v69_etlkYI
