A much loved city farm is celebrating its 40th anniversary  working with communities in and around Sheffield.

Heeley City Farm was founded in July 1981 when former chief executive John LeCorney rallied with the Heeley residents association against council plans to build a bypass. 

Andrew Pearce, 35, Publicity and Communications manager at Heeley City Farm said : “Their protest won, they wanted a community project, so the farm was born, it started with a pig, £25 in the bank and a shed.”

Heeley City Farm receives no core funding from the council, and is registered as a charity. The farm site, visitors centre, playground and animals are all free to visit. 

Mr Pearce said: “This is very much a community project, the farm itself is a community organisation, we’re a not-for profit so any income we get goes into our projects and goes back into the community”

For a week, until the 29th of April The Big Give are doubling any donations received by Heeley City Farm when you donate through their Big Give website page.

Heeley City Farm costs around £100,000 to run yearly , relying on donations and the generosity of the community. Hundreds of volunteers work across the Heeley Park farm sites. 

 Guy Hudson, 34, and his daughter Molly, two and a half, visited  Heeley City Farm s today. He aid: “We mostly come here in the summer, Molly loves the pigs and the lambs, especially the baby ones.

It’s not only a fun learning experience, but the work that Heeley City Farm does for the community is great.” 

Heeley City Farm has 10 different sites across the city and eight different departments working with and for the community. 

 Lindsay Burton, 36 and her son Jamie, two, said: “I like it here, it’s a great day out in such a nice place, it’s so free flowing you can just wander in.”

Heeley City Farm normally runs events and four festivals yearly, however due to COVID – events such as these are unable to happen.

The farm is a certified rare breed centre, has 50 beehives across Sheffield and 10 food growing sites of various sizes which grow food for food banks.

To find out more about Heeley City Farm, and the communities they support click : https://www.heeleyfarm.org.uk/getting-here/4594631502

To donate to Heeley City Farm and have your donation doubled until the 29th of April 2021 click:https://donate.thebiggive.org.uk/campaign/a056900001opLh6AAE