Target reached!
As part of the M&S Energy Fund Competition 2019, M&S will be donating an add...
The Farm of Futures
Surbiton, England, United Kingdom
Aim
With your help we want to make The Farm of Futures more sustainable by fitting solar panels and support our communities to grow their ideas
Our Project Vision
We have been working to convert the abandoned Tolworth Allotments Society building, in Kingston upon Thames, into a sustainable community hub which supports the growth of local ideas as well as food, promotes cross generational skill sharing, educates on aquaponics and encourages the farming of waste for upcycled, community designed products. We want to inspire our communities to feel proud of where they live and actively engage with it - to make dreams into realities.
Since taking over the building good progress has been made in setting up The Farm of Futures. We have installed a functioning workshop and studio space, are trialling aquaponics, have built raised beds, an apiary and now run regular volunteering sessions. We are creating a space where everyone is welcome to join in.
What we'll do with the money?
To progress our ambition of becoming 100% sustainable we would like to purchase and install solar photovoltaic (PV) panels to harvest our own electricity.
Part of the money will be used to pay specialist consultants to advise on PVs and the existing building’s structure to assure the panels are installed efficiently. This fits with our ethos of helping people to minimise their environmental footprint
Who are we?
The team is a partnership between local community interest company The Community Brain and local design and architecture start up 121 Collective.
The Community Brain believes everyone if brilliant if they are given the help and support to be be brilliant. We exist to work with communities to support and develop their happiness and cohesion using the widest range of the arts, education and local history. It is about giving place and people renewed importance and pride.
121 Collective was founded by Kingston University Architecture postgraduates who believe in an ethos that embraces sustainability, craft and community. Members of the collective have been working collaboratively with The Community Brain for the past two years on a community-led regeneration project in Tolworth called SHEDx (www.SHEDx.org).
SHEDx - Growing Ideas in Tolworth is supported by The Mayor of London 'Good Growth' fund, Kingston Council and the local community, businesses and education establishments.
www.thecommunitybrain.org
www.121collective.com
This project successfully funded on 16th December 2019