News / Bridge Farm
Crowdfunder launched to save one of Bristol’s oldest farms
A community farm in Bristol has launched a crowdfunder to ensure it “stays alive and accessible to all”.
Bridge Farm in Stapleton was purchased by Ashley Vale Action Group in 2019, with the help of a group of lenders, to save the farm from private development so that the land and buildings could be retained in community ownership.
However plans to build homes and use the money to fix the farmhouse and some of the barns were delayed due to various factors. Now the group may be forced to sell the farm to honour their financial agreements with the initial lenders.
is needed now More than ever
But the group hopes that with the help of the Bristol Community Land Trust (BCLT) they can secure funding to save the farm, with the help of match funding from the public.
The farm needs to raise £102,000 by April 9 in pledges of match funding to apply for the Government’s Community Ownership Fund.
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The BCLT has offered a ten day period for the group to pool its resources, put the application together and raise the funds for the application. But the group will not be able to reach the application deadline if they don’t match funding.
Now they are calling on the public, and the local community that has supported them for years, to help them save the farm and keep it in community ownership, with every £1 put in by the public matched by a £9.50 donation from the farm.
Under the ownership of the local community, the farm has been transformed over the years from a piece of rough grassland and bramble to a hub for sustainable living, ecological learning and various community workshops and events.
Today, Bridge Farm has a tree nursery, community growing area, community canteen, a community grower group and venues for hire, and is working to become a Community Interest Company to manage the farm’s future.
The farm also has plans to develop new-build co-housing sites, submitting plans to the Bristol Planning team in March 2023 for 12 homes and a common house.
“As the seasons shift, we find ourselves at a critical moment for our beloved farm, a time that will shape its future,” a spokesperson for the farm said on its Crowdfunder site.
“We recognise times are tight, but if you know anyone who has the capacity, and if you are able to share with others, the £100k has the potential to unlock the future of the farm, and secure the farm into long term community ownership.
“We are calling on our community and those who recognise the need for community ownership, for immediate and collective action, to ensure that the magic of Bridge Farm stays alive and accessible to all.”
You can donate to the farm’s crowdfunder here. To find out more about the farm visit www.bridgefarmbristol.com.
Main photo: Bridge Farm
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