Edinburgh Gorgie Farm run by Love Learning has now announced shock closure as they cannot survive in the new year without financial support.
The tragic news came on December 30 as they announced that due to Covid and the cost of living crisis it would not be possible to stay open.
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The beloved city farm has been run by Love Learning since the last successful funding campaign after there were fears it would not reopen after Covid.
Gorgie farm employs a number of young people and runs a food bank providing essential items to members of the local community.
Love Learning announced its intention to return the lease on Gorgie Farm to the City of Edinburgh Council anc will begin a period of formal consultation with staff on 4 January 2023.
Love CEO, Lynn Bell, said: “We have tried everything to avoid this situation, however with Covid and now cost of living crisis we do not believe we are able to support the Farm alone moving forward.
"CEC funding for the Farm was withdrawn in 2020 and over recent months Love have been seeking detailed discussions with City of Edinburgh Council over funding and the future operations of the Farm.
"Love have developed a plan for the Farm, based on the development of a Care Farm and utilising buildings on the Farm for respite accommodation for Looked After Children.
"However, on preparation of the Love Learning 2021-22 accounts it became clear that Love was not able to take this forward without assistance."
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Lynn added: “The support for Gorgie Farm from the public has been tremendous, and I would like to thank every single person who has supported the Farm over the last few years.
"Gorgie Farm is unique, and it has the potential to deliver so much for so many. We know that changes could be made to raise funds and support wider Council objectives around looked after children and tackling poverty, but we are not able to take this proposal forward unaided.
“A partnership approach has always been central to our plans, but this partnership has not materialised. While we have had many positive individual conversations ultimately there is a need for detailed discussions and agreements to allow the redesign of the Farms operations to meet wider needs.”
Council Leader Cammy Day said: “It’s really sad to hear Gorgie Farm is in financial difficulty. Sadly, they’re not alone in feeling the devastating effects of the pandemic, with many organisations struggling to cope with falling visitor numbers and rising costs.
“As a Council, we stepped in to support the venue three years ago – giving it a new lease of life and allowing Love Learning to take over – and have offered to work with them again.
"We’ve already discussed potential new operating models with them and are due to meet again early next month.
“The capital city of Edinburgh remains the lowest-funded local authority in Scotland. As a result, our city and the essential services we provide remain under immense pressure.
"This is exacerbated in our 2023/24 budgets that are looking at at least £70 million of cuts from the Scottish Government leaving us to face some extremely difficult decisions as we look to set budgets for the coming year.”
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