New Partnership Gives Hope to City Farm

St. Paul’s Community Development Trust are happy to announce that following lengthy discussions with a number of organisations agreement has been reached with The Active Wellbeing Society (TAWS) that will secure the long term viability of the Balsall Heath City Farm.

Threatened with closure since December 2018 St. Paul’s have been working with a number of organisations to try to secure the long-term viability of the City Farm. Now agreement has been reached with TAWS which means that the farm which has operated in Balsall Heath for over 40 years will remain open.

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Following Friday’s very sad announcement about our Urban Farm facing closure, Central News have paid a visit to the Farm.

The following video is from the Broadcast on the Saturday evening news.

(You might need to turn the volume up a bit)

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Balsall Heath City Farm is set to close by the end of March, unless new money can be raised to support it.

Set up by a group of residents in 1980, with just a few chickens, the farm now includes sheep, goats, rabbits, ducks, geese and turkeys. The Farm costs some £55,000 a year to run, and its parent body, St Paul’s Community Development Trust, says it can no longer afford to keep it open.

The farm is enjoyed by local children and their families, providing close up access to animals in one of Birmingham’s most deprived neighbourhoods. Visitors who came as children now bring their own little ones down to see the 50 animals that live on the Farm. Others come as volunteers to help feed the animals and grow flowers and vegetables. Entrance to the farm has always been free, but staff also run educational visits for nurseries, schools and other groups.

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