Collingwood Children’s Farm was a safe haven for many with disability. Now a mother and daughter are fighting to save a ‘unique’ program

Debra Byrne is dismayed at Collingwood Children’s Farm's decision to cease its volunteer program for people – like her daughter– who live with a disability. Photograph: Christopher Hopkins/The Guardian

For decades, visitors have flocked to Collingwood Children’s Farm on the banks of Melbourne’s Yarra River.

The not-for-profit community farm, founded in 1979, is renowned for providing a serene slice of country life in the city for children, school students, people with disabilities and families.