Freightliners Joins the Captain Tom 100 Fundraising Challenge

This weekend we’re kicking off our summer fundraising efforts by taking part in the national charity fundraising campaign inspired by Captain Tom’s Phenomenal Fundraiser last year.

Help us raise essential running costs for the summer as part of the #CaptainTom100

Help us raise essential running costs for the summer as part of the #CaptainTom100

We are so grateful for the ongoing support of our friends and local community without your donations and fundraising efforts the farm would not have survived this far through the pandemic.  Now as we start to reopen we need to ask for your support again.

 The continued impact of the Covid-19 restrictions on the farm’s operations and finances mean that we need to raise a further £15,000 to support essential running and opening costs through to September 2021 and more to complete some of the backlogged maintenance and renovation work from the past year.

 The Captain Tom 100 Challenge takes place this weekend 30th April – 3rd May

During this weekend we’re asking friends to help us towards our target by completing or sponsoring a challenge including the 100 figure for the farm.

You can set up your sponsorship page or donate to support our challengers with Virgin Money Giving https://bit.ly/3axbhTq

You can complete any challenge you like but here are some Farm based suggestions and don’t worry if you want to take part on a later weekend get inspired now and take on your challenge later:

 Cow vs pig does Captain Tom 100

Our Cow vs Pig run can’t take place just yet but we’re gathering the herd once again to carry out their own challenges dressed as a cow or pig (we have the onsies or you can make your own costume).

Get your oinks and moos on and join our Management Committee Member Seigo Robinson as he leads the Cow and Pig charge cycling 100k dressed as a cow.  You could cycle, run, walk, crawl, paddle or climb 100 somethings (could be miles, minutes, laps or steps it is up to you).

Captain Tom 100 Muck Heap Challenge

Get up to 4 people together to complete our muck heap challenge.  Bag 100 bags of manure for the farm to sell and get sponsored to do it.  If you’d like to take on this challenge mail liz@freightlinersfarm.org.uk for details and to book a slot.

Captain Tom 100 Beetroot Brownie Bakeathon/ Bake off

Use our famous beetroot brownie recipe and bake 100 brownies and share with friends or team up with 10 friends for a zoom bake-off each presenting a plate of 10 brownies.

Seigo’s 100K Bicy-cow

‘Hi I'm Seigo, and I'm a big believer of the huge benefits Freightliners Farm provides as a haven and as a community, and have been on the farm Management Committee for seven years. Despite the huge efforts by staff and volunteers over the last year, with all the restrictions and likely continuing limitations into the usually busy summer period, the farm has been hampered in its ability to bring in funds. So with the upcoming Captain Tom 100 Challenge, it felt like a great chance to contribute in a small way. In tribute to the farm, I'm aiming to cycle with a cow costume for a 100km. It is likely to be miserable, probably through a combination of rain, heat and chafing - so please donate generously!

And if you're up for a bit of a laugh join me, get your Mooooves on and your Trotters stomping and take on your own Cow or Pig Challenge and help the farm this summer.’

Easter Activities and Reopening to the Public

Great news! All being well we'll be able to start opening for visitors again from the 13th April

Initially we intend to reopen to the public on a booked basis, part time to enable us to continue to provide therapeutic, educational and volunteering activities and carry out the farm work caring for the animals and gardens whilst ensuring that everyone can continue to maintain the essential social distancing and help to keep the transmission of Covid-19 low.

You can book a half hour walk around the farm for one household or bubble

  • Tuesday 13th April-Friday 16th April from 10.30am-1pm for the school break

  • Wednesdays from 2pm-4pm, Saturdays and Sundays from 11am-3.00pm

We have continued to maintain and develop the farm and garden over the winter and our regular volunteers were able to start to return to the farm as Covid-19 infections reduced from early March, in time to help prepare for visitors returning.

Spring School Holiday Activities

Each day during the school holidays you can take part in a farm workshop at home. 

  1. Pick up an activity pack from outside the farm gates each day between 11am and 4.30pm

  2. Follow the paper instructions or join the farm staff for a video workshop from our YouTube channel.

  3. If you need help you can post your questions, share your work and join a facebook live trouble-shooter session from 1.30pm-2pm the following day.

Programme

Tuesday 6 April Clay pots and animals kit
Wednesday 7 April Beeswax candle making kit / Troubleshoot & share clay
Thursday 8 April Planting pea seeds kit / Troubleshoot & share candle making
Friday 9 April Felt making kit / Troubleshoot & share planting peas
Monday 14th April Making musical instruments (No kit upcycle your rubbish) / Troubleshoot & share felt making
Tuesday 13 April Build a bug house kit / Troubleshoot instruments and jamming with Nic
Wednesday 13 April Finger knitted wool snakes kit / Troubleshoot & share bug house building
Thursday 14 April Plant a spider plant / Troubleshoot & share finger knitting
Friday 15 April Weave a cane dream catcher / Troubleshoot & share planting


And you can still access our programme of remote farm education, learning and therapeutic activities online through our website and social media which includes

Science projects such as Food making microbes - dairy products and bread making
Maths problems such as making a feed order, medicine doses and counting the chickens to bed
Music sessions with Nic - Introduction to reading music and making stringed instruments
Arts and crafts projects such as making wreaths and spinning wool
Animals - Discover the farm animals
Gardening including Pollination and flowers in the garden and chilli sowing time

They are available through our website www.freightlinersfarm.org.uk/education-activities Freightliners City Farm | Facebook and Freightliners Farm (@Freightcityfarm) on Twitter

Easter Young Farmers

Young farmers sessions will also be returning with a small number of places each session. If you are aged 13yrs plus from Islington please email adminstration@freightlinersfarm.org.uk for a registration form and keep a check on our booking page on the website for available sessions.

Keeping Safe and Connected During the New Lockdown

As transmission rates for Covid-19 are extremely high in our local area and across London the farm is currently closed to visitors and volunteers and is running with a limited staff team on site. We know that the best way to keep people safe and to enable our hospitals to cope this winter is to stay at home as much as possible and to reduce contact between households to a minimum. We are however very aware of the needs in our community for health and wellbeing. In particular to maintain connections with people, services, therapeutic and learning activity, nature, the outdoors and support. In order to help people stay safe and well at home we are aiming to reach out remotely and have put together a programme of activities which we hope will help people to stay connected to the farm and other local services during the lockdown period.

  • Go to our education activity pages for learning activities targeted towards supporting the schools curriculum but we hope of interest to lots of our supporters.

  • Join us on our facebook group live each weekday at 1.30pm for farm education sessions

  • Catch up and go into more depth with our videos on YouTube

  • Connect with the farm by booking a farm at home visit at the weekend

  • Watch out for the free takeaway crafts activity packs if you pass the farm on your daily exercise.

  • Share your gardening, home cooking and arts and crafts triumphs and catastrophes on our social media

We would like to thank our current funders City Bridge Trust, Islington Council, The Mayor of London, DCMS and the National Lottery Community Fund for their support in continuing to provide these services, The London Emergency Response and Islington Giving for the emergency support which helped us get this far and all our supporters and donors without whose generosity we would not be able to carry on.

Highlights from our recent Autumn Newsletter

Theatre comes to Islington!

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On Bank Holiday Monday, the Butterfly Theatre Company performed Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' on the farm.


They played three performances to socially distanced audiences including a free performance for local young people and their families and enabled around 80 local people to enjoy a unique theatrical experience.

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Bramble was particularly enamoured by the fair Titania and thinks he was born to act.

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The actors were great and the performance was right up to date with its references to the 2m distancing and challenges for the performers.

 
 

© Freightliners Farm, Charity No. 1014216
Sheringham Road, London N7 8PF