Keep the Community Farm Gates Open

Aim

Keep sharing better food and farming with the local community.

Please note: Aviva will match fund your first donation up to a maximum of £250!

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Help us keep The Community Farm gates open! We are in urgent need of £50,000 of funding to continue growing climate-friendly food, supporting nature, and bringing thousands of people together to learn, connect, and take action for a better future. Without your support, this vital community space and all the benefits it brings could be lost.

Why does The Community Farm matter?

• 15 years serving the community
• 3,500 visitors last year including refugees, local school children and adults with mental ill health
• 500+ homes receiving nutritious, organic food every week
• Providing vital habitats for vulnerable wildlife species including dormice and little owls
• Supporting 25+ other ethical food producers in the South West 

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Just a short drive from Bristol and Bath, The Community Farm is bursting with life. Hedgerows hum with insects, wildflowers splash colour along the field edges, and rows of crops stand tall, full of promise. Among them, people laugh and chatter, hands deep in the soil, caring for the land that feeds them.

For 15 years, we’ve poured our hearts into building a better local food system that works for people, wildlife and the climate.

Farming for nature and the climate

13 acres of pasture have been transformed into a colourful patchwork, sewn together with hedgerows, wildflower strips and abundant fruit trees. Owls nest in our trees, skylarks and swifts fill the skies, and our hedgerows are alive with pollinators. We have watched growing populations of vulnerable species, among them bees, butterflies, dormice and Little Owls.

On this beautiful patch of land, we have restored soil health, grown climate- and wildlife-friendly food, and created diverse habitats for birds, insects, mammals, and microbes.

Cultivating community

Everyone is welcome at The Community Farm. Here, people and nature nourish each other and flourish together. When people spend time caring for the land and growing food with others, they find healing, connection and purpose. 

Last year, over 3,500 visitors felt the benefits of coming to volunteer, or attend a course, workshop or event, including:

• more than 230 school children
• 19 visiting groups from disadvantaged communities
• refugees and displaced people
• young people outside of education and employment
• adults living with mental health challenges
• local families with tiny tots to teens

The Community Farm was founded by activists, determined to connect people to the food system and encourage them to change it. All of those people who visit the farm are doing just that. Taking action to create a food system that works for people, nature and the climate. Their words are powerful testimony:

• "If feels like coming home"
• "I learnt so much"
• "Changed my life"

Food for the health of people and planet

We want everyone to have the opportunity to enjoy nutritious, climate-friendly food. And we're making progress:

• more than 500 households within 20 miles now enjoy our nourishing, organic veg boxes every week
• 50 homes have access to subsidised organic produce
• trading with 70+ producers and businesses, we're strengthening local food security
• nothing is wasted - our surplus is shared directly with local community food groups

Why we're fundraising

The Community Farm relies on fundraising income to offer our year-round programme of activities, enabling everyone within our wonderfully diverse community to access the farm and all we do. Every year we work to cover our costs through grant funding, donations and fundraising activities.

This year, a sharp drop in grant funding has left us facing a serious shortfall and, without urgent support, The Community Farm will be unable to continue. 

Crowdfunding £50,000 will help enable us to continue this vital work whilst we implement our long-term strategy and position the organisation for stability for the years ahead. 

The impact of your donation

Your donation means we can continue welcoming people onto the land and making an enormous difference to their lives:

“As an autistic person, I just need this place, as soon as I first came here and felt how relaxed and welcoming it was, I knew I had to keep coming.  I am trying to make changes to my work so I can be here more often, I need it, it calms me.   It means so much to me already.   It's a place where you can come and feel welcomed to just be yourself, whatever is going on for you that day. “ – Local Volunteer

"We brought children from inner-city Bristol out to the farm to spend a day picking, cooking and just being here in nature. It’s the perfect place for that… Quite a lot of the children live in flats or high-rises and don’t spend much time outside. They come here and almost straight away they are playing happily. The space is unique, beautiful and a joy to use. Eating a cucumber straight from the vine or an apple from the tree is a magical moment, and something everyone should have the chance to experience. – Jo Ingleby, The Children’s Kitchen

“Attending a wellbeing course at The Community Farm has given me a much-needed sense of connection - with others and with nature. I’ve discovered a passion for growing and cooking with fresh, organic vegetables and herbs, which has completely transformed my health and wellbeing. I always leave feeling happy and resilient, and the sense of joy that I find there stays with me for days. Discovering the farm has been a gift and a turning point in my recovery from chronic illness. I feel so much gratitude to the land and for all the people who come together there to create a welcoming community. It’s a very special place.” – Wellbeing course attendee

“I have been living in Bristol for about two years, after moving here from Iran. Visiting the farm was a very special experience for me. The fresh produce, the smells, and the friendly atmosphere reminded me of my home country and my family’s garden, which made me feel emotional but also very peaceful. As a mother, I rarely have time just for myself, so it was wonderful that this trip was for adults only and gave me space to relax. It was lovely to spend time with women from different backgrounds, sharing recipes and cooking together with the farm’s organic produce.” - Aidbox Community service user

Join Our Community of Supporters

The path ahead presents challenges, but with your support, we can secure a thriving future for The Community Farm.

How you can help:

• Make an immediate impact by donating today - every pound brings us closer to our £50,000 target 
• Claim exciting rewards including exclusive farm workshops, seasonal treats and partner prizes.
• Amplify our message by sharing our campaign across your networks - forward our crowdfunder link via WhatsApp or reshare our posts on Facebook and Instagram. Every share expands our reach and increases our chances of success during this critical six-week campaign.

By supporting our farm today, you're helping us overcome a temporary setback, as well as investing in a climate-resilient future for our community and improving the lives of so many people.

Thank you for being part of the solution and contributing towards a healthier community and planet.

Please note: Contact [email protected] for any questions regarding the campaign or the rewards.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made