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Please help replace our animal shelters

Please help us to replace the seven large animal shelters in our back field's. The shelters are currently old, with holes in the roofs and no sides. New weather proof shelters will provide much needed protection from the Great British weather.

Our animals are the main focus of all our activities, and we would like to give them the best possible accommodation, making sure they are comfortable and protected.

We have a selection of larger animals including our miniature donkeys, Mackenzie and McCoy, our flock of Zwartbles sheep and our selection of goats including, Jet the Anglo-Nubian. At night they all have warm and cosy shelters in our yard, during the day they graze out in the paddocks.

A covered shelter is important both on hot days for shade and during cold/winter days to protect them from the wind and rain.

At the moment, the shelters in the back fields desperately need to be replaced: they are old, they do not have sides and the roofs leak. To make matters worse two of the shelters lost part of their roofs due to Storm Eunice.

The fields are very exposed and replacing the shelters with ones that have three sides will provide a dry space in rain, shade in the sun and warmth in the cold to make their enclosures more welcoming and fit for purpose.

Our fundraising target of £5800 will buy the raw materials for our onsite team to craft the new structures. The seven shelters will be built with a strong timber framework and clad in shatterproof recycled plastic eco sheets.

Please donate today to help us continue to provide the best possible environment for our beautiful animals.

Trustee Vacancy – Treasurer

The Trustees wish to appoint as a volunteer trustee a Treasurer to be responsible for the financial well-being, strategy, and financial administration of the charity and specifically to lead in the Trustees’ duty to ensure that proper accounting records are kept, financial resources are properly controlled and disbursed in line with good governance, legal and regulatory requirements. 

Main Duties and Responsibilities 

We are looking for a Treasurer who can maintain an overview of the financial affairs of the organisation and ensure that they are legal, constitutional and in accordance with accepted accounting practice. The Treasurer supports internal staff who complete the accounting work, and who are in turn supported by a local firm of external accountants. Reviews of the accounting records are undertaken quarterly. We are particularly interested in hearing from candidates who have a knowledge of VAT and charity finance.

In addition the Treasurer has the following duties and responsibilities: 

  • Make fellow Board members aware of their financial obligations and take a lead in interpreting and presenting financial data to them.
  • Ensure proper records are kept and that effective financial procedures and controls are in place, including:  
    • Cheque signatories
    • Purchasing limits and systems
    • Payroll actions, including salary payments, PAYE and NI payments
    • Pensions
    • Any other records required, as appropriate 
  • Appraising the financial viability of plans, proposals and feasibility studies

PERSONAL SPECIFICATION

  • Knowledge of and interest in animals and community farms is desirable.
  • An accountancy qualification.
  • Candidates who are local are desirable, but it is essential that you are able to travel to the farm for meetings, events and the odd day of volunteering.

COMMITMENT

The Board meets every other month, and the Treasurer would additionally be expected to spend a few hours a month engaging with Board business, attending events and supporting fundraising activities. 

HOW TO APPLY

For more information on being a trustee or to apply please contact Henry Nelless, Chair of Trustees, on chair@deencityfarm.co.uk 

For a tour of the farm or information on the our work please contact Emma King, General Manager, on manager@deencityfarm.co.uk

 

ABOUT DEEN CITY FARM

Deen City Farm and Riding School is an urban farm with an educational focus in the heart of the London Borough of Merton. With over 60,000 visitors a year, our five-acre site includes a farmyard, gardens, riding school, shop, café and small playground. As well as welcoming visitors who want to meet the animals and enjoy the setting, we also work with local schools and community groups to fulfil our charitable aim of improving the lives of everyone in the community. Volunteering is at the heart of the project and we also provide a work experience programme. 

Deen City Farm is a limited company as well as a registered charity. 

The Board of Trustees provides strategic direction and leadership to the organisation. It acts as the guardian of the charity’s vision and supports the staff team. 

#CityFarmDay 2021

City Farms Day 2022

#CityFarmDay 2021

It's Thursday 24th March 2022 and we will be joining City Farms across the UK on City Farm Day as they collectively focus on the work that they do to support young people.

 

 

 

During the last two years young people’s mental health has been disproportionately impacted following repeated lockdowns and life disruption. City Farms have played an important role in supporting young people in local communities – providing green spaces for them to spend time outdoors and volunteer opportunities to work with the Farm animals, grow food and look after nature.

There are more than 50 City Farms across the UK – connecting people in cities with food and farming: and supporting members of the local community via volunteering opportunities.

City Farm Day is all about celebrating the important role that these special places have in communities across the UK since the first one opened 50 years ago, back in 1972

Keep an eye out on social media throughout the day for more information on how young people get involved with Deen City Farm. 

Visit City Farm Day 2022 | Social Farms & Gardens (farmgarden.org.uk) for more information

 

Birthday parties are back!

Parties are available to book on Saturdays and Sundays at either 10:00-12:00 or 13:30-15:30

£350 for up to 20 Children 

What we offer:

  • Exclusive use of our decorated party room for two hours
  • Special meet and greet experience with the small pets
  • A selection of sandwiches, snacks and squash for the children  
  • Animal feed for the large animals
  • Self guided tour of the farm
  • Printable party invitations

Find our more today!

Farm Shop is Open!

With the change of café management we have been without a shop for a while now. We are happy to announce that we have moved the shop to a new location and it is now open!

Find us in the green building by the picnic area
Exclusive Deen City Farm souvenirs, animal feed and other goodies will be sold from the shop. 

You can also browse and purchase some items on our online shop

Santa’s Grotto

Tickets now available!

Come and meet Santa Claus and tell him what you want for Christmas before his friendly elf guides you to where he keeps his presents!

Saturday 4th & Sunday 5th December

Saturday 11th & Sunday 12th December

Saturday 18th & Sunday 19th December

Tuesday 21st to Friday 24th December

10am to 4pm, booking is highly recommended

A farm visit is included so no need to book one.

£6 per child, gift included.

Book your tickets now! 

Oscar’s Playground Update

Thank you so much for your kind donations to get the playground open.

The work is now complete and the playground has reopened with a brand new surface and new equipment to play on.

Oscars playground was built in memory of Oscar Ashton, a little boy from Wimbledon who passed away in 2012 from an undiagnosed heart defect. Oscar was a frequent visitor to the farm with his family, who helped to raise £10,000 to transform an underused part of the farm into a fun and educational area for children to enjoy.

We are open from 10am-4:30, last admission is at 4pm, the playground will be open during these times. 

Bring Cows back to Deen City Farm

Can you help?

Early last year our beloved cows retired from Farm life, they are sorely missed but are enjoying their new home. 

This year we are hoping to bring cows back by rehoming two young Shetland Cows, half sisters, Brie and Meg.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shetland cows are rare breeds and have been classified as a minority by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. This year there has been a 5% decrease in registered breeding females in the UK. In bringing these beautiful young ladies to the farm we hope to help the breed thrive! 

Please share or donate if you can: Fundraiser by Maria Day : Fundraising for cows (gofundme.com)

Thank you so much for your support. 

Christmas Tree Shop

We are excited to be able to offer Christmas Trees this year. If you haven’t already bought yours why not help support a local charity and purchase your tree from Deen City Farm! 

All trees are 6ft Nordmann Firs

£45 each

Pre-Order here:

Collection is available from Thursday 3rd December between 10:00 and 16:00. However if you need to collect your tree outside these hours it may be possible, call 02085435858 to double check. 

Find out how else you can help support Deen City Farm here. 

We’re hiring – General Manager

Deen City Farm and Riding School

General Manager

Salary: c£35,000 plus pension

Location: Merton, SW19

Hours: Full time 40 hours per week with options for flexible working.  Occasional weekend and evening working

Deen City Farm and Riding School is a successful community resource comprising a city farm, riding school, café and garden project based in the London Borough of Merton. 

Our mission is to be an oasis providing urban communities with the opportunity to connect with animals and nature.  

Our founding charitable objectives include promoting education in agriculture, horticulture, home-crafts, country life and animal care and providing facilities for members of our local communities, in particular those considered the most vulnerable.   

We seek a new General Manager to work closely with the board and management team to develop and deliver innovative business, fundraising and communication/publicity strategies and work to ensure the long-term sustainability of the farm.

A positive attitude, ability to identify imaginative and productive ways of utilising the farm’s many assets, and the drive to deliver on those plans will be essential as the farm moves through one of its most challenging and potentially exciting periods in its history. 

We are looking for an inspiring and inclusive leader with brilliant communication and relationship building skills and the ability to work with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. It is likely you have worked for a charity and must have a real interest in community, youth and environmental issues.

Financially literate you must have a commercial mindset and ability to work with a dedicated board of trustees in the development of new ideas for the farm.

To Apply please send a CV and Cover letter to: chair@deencityfarm.co.uk

The successful appointee will be subject to a DBS check. 

Closing date for application: 31st May 2020

Click here for application pack