Help Protect Kirkstall Valley Farm – A Place Where

Aim

Help Kirkstall Valley Farm recover from a devastating suspected arson attack and make our community space safer for everyone.

Help Protect Kirkstall Valley Farm – A Place Where Our Community Grows

After repeated vandalism and a devastating suspected arson attack, we need your help to protect Kirkstall Valley Farm and everything it means to our community.

We are heartbroken.

Overnight, a caravan at Kirkstall Valley Farm was destroyed by fire in what we believe was a deliberate act of arson. There was no apparent source of ignition, and the caravan has been reduced to a twisted, blackened wreck.

It had been generously donated to the farm, was already being put to good use and was part of an exciting project to create a mobile tea bar — somewhere people could gather, enjoy a cuppa and feel part of our wonderful community.

Now that dream has gone up in flames.

But what worries us most is not simply what we have lost. It's what we stand to lose if this continues.

The heartbreaking cost of repeated attacks

Over the past two years, we have experienced repeated vandalism, theft, break-ins, criminal damage and antisocial behaviour.

Each time, our staff and volunteers have picked up the pieces.

Each time, precious resources that should have been spent developing the farm have instead gone towards repairing damage.

And each time, we have tried to remain positive, determined that the actions of a few would not destroy something that means so much to so many.

But this latest incident feels different.

Fire is dangerous. Fire is unpredictable. And the consequences could have been so much worse.

We cannot continue to absorb these losses, nor can we allow the future of the farm and the opportunities it provides to be jeopardised.

A place worth protecting

Kirkstall Valley Farm is so much more than a place where we grow food.

Working alongside our partners, we deliver sessions to nearly 100 children every single week, giving them opportunities to connect with nature, learn about growing food, develop confidence and experience the joy of being outdoors.

The farm is also a place where volunteers, families and people from all walks of life come together, creating friendships, improving wellbeing and building a stronger, more connected community.

All of this is being put at risk by repeated acts of destruction.

We need your help to make the farm safer

We are launching this crowdfunder to invest in essential improvements that will help protect Kirkstall Valley Farm for the future.

Our immediate priorities are to:

- Extend the electricity supply to our social area, providing the infrastructure needed for improved security.

- Install CCTV to help deter criminal activity and protect our facilities.

- Improve perimeter security to make the site less vulnerable to further damage and unauthorised access.

These improvements will help us safeguard the considerable investment of time, money, generosity and goodwill that has gone into creating this remarkable community space.

Most importantly, they will help us continue providing a welcoming environment for the children, families, volunteers and community groups who depend on the farm.

They can destroy a caravan. They cannot destroy a community.

Kirkstall Valley Farm was built on the belief that people working together can create something wonderful.

A place where food grows, friendships flourish, children discover the natural world and people find a sense of purpose and belonging.

We refuse to let repeated acts of destruction define its future.

But we cannot do this alone.

Please help us protect Kirkstall Valley Farm. Not just for today, but for the children, families and generations who deserve to enjoy it tomorrow.

If you can donate, thank you. If you can share our appeal, thank you.

Together, we can ensure that something beautiful continues to grow from something so heartbreaking.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 24th November 2026 at 6:15pm