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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
Neil Pooran

Gorgie City Farm - Owners tell us what's in store for new, improved 'Love Gorgie' site

You'd be forgiven for not having heard of Love Learning, the charity which stepped in to help save Gorgie City Farm after it went into liquidation.

But they have big plans for the farm near Tynecastle, which will soon be re-branded "Love Gorgie."

News that Gorgie City Farm was set to be liquidated provoked shock and sadness in November last year. More than £100,000 was raised in a city-wide crowdfunder to save it.

We took a tour of the site ahead of its grand re-opening later this month and saw many of the animals locals will recognise. A hungry goat even tried to chew our reporter's jacket...

Some changes are coming to the farm which are sure to delight visitors.

Who are Love Learning?

LOVE Learning's CEO Lynn Bell told us they helped vulnerable children and families with "learning, education, wellbeing and employment."

They're often described as a mental health charity, but they also provide SQA accredited courses and training.

Founded in 2014, they have sites around Scotland and currently help around 500 people.

Gorgie farm fills a number of roles for them. It can be used for therapy, education, training or simply a nice spot for a day trip.

It also might have commercial uses such as corporate away-days. Everyone is keen to make sure it is financially sustainable.

What's changing?

The good news is the vast majority of the animals visitors know and love will be staying at the farm.

Some of the staff who were made redundant in November have even been able to take up their old jobs.

New animals will be appearing in the coming months, including a small herd of alpacas. They aim to have a new "attraction" animal roughly every quarter, such as reindeer at Christmas time, as well as an aquarium.

Lynn said: "The message we want to give the community is that the farm reflects what they want. The crowdfunder showed exactly what people felt about it."

She added: "I kept getting emails saying thank you for saving the farm. It sounds cheesy but  but it was the community that saved it.

"Without them it wouldn't have happened."

Entry will continue to be open to the public free of charge and visitors will be encouraged to donate.

There will be a few less of the ginger pigs in the central pens as these were becoming a little crowded.

Love Gorgie will still be a working urban farm but the livestock will not be slaughtered on site.

One of the big changes planned is for a garden area at the front of the site, facing Gorgie Road. There would be benches set up nearby, making it a great spot to relax and have lunch.

Crops will be grown on-site using a sustainable technique called syntropic farming, with the produce being sold in the cafe.

Appropriately, Lynn is looking to get some lovebirds in the menagerie at Love Gorgie.

When is it re-opening?

A date of Saturday, February 29 has been set for the grand re-opening. The gates have been shut to the public since Gorgie City Farm's board called in liquidators in November. 

Volunteer weekends will be held in the run-up to this, as the team works to get the farm up to scratch.

Local businesses are also being encouraged to help out any way they can.

As well as the return of a cherished community resource, it will bring "outstanding" benefits to the children Love Learning work with, many of whom have learning difficulties.

Lynn can't wait until Love Gorgie is revealed to the public. She said: "It will be really exciting, one of my career highs."

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