LOVE Gorgie Farm will be providing breakfast for children amid school closures and set a delivery service from its new café for those staying at home due to the coronavirus crisis. It is also urging people to donate to its food bank.
Education and social care charity LOVE Learning, who recently took ownership of former Gorgie City Farm, decided to organise breakfast for kids after the Scottish Government announced school closures from Monday onwards.
Through this, the charity aims to support those in the community, especially those from deprived areas, by ensuring that they can start the day well fed.
The farm in Gorgie will continue to provide a safe place for children to enjoy themselves, where people can keep a safe distance in the open air.
In light of the recommendations from Chief Medical Adviser to the UK Government, Chris Whitty, regarding the importance of children to still do outdoor activities and exercise, LOVE Gorgie Farm has decided to adapt its range of services to face the challenges caused by coronavirus outbreak.
LOVE Gorgie Farm is taking all the hygienic measures recommended by the authorities and is equipped with multiple hand washing facilities and antibacterial hand gel.
In order to ensure that the farm can continue its operations during this delicate period, LOVE Gorgie Farm is also encouraging those wanting to help the beloved urban farm to support them with donations and supplies.
Two fundraising pages have been set up - an Amazon shopping list and a Go Fund Me page - for those wanting to help the farm stay afloat remotely.
Lynn Bell, CEO of LOVE Learning, the education and social care charity that is running LOVE Gorgie Farm said:
“Due to the Government’s decision to close schools, we have decided to offer breakfast every morning so the children in the community can enjoy at least a meal a day now that schools have closed.
“We are diligently following the advice from the authorities and the safety of our staff, visitors and animals is and will always be our first and foremost priority.
“So far, kids are being encouraged to play outdoors and exercise in spaces where social distancing is possible, and LOVE Gorgie Farm can facilitate that.
“Our dedicated team have been working hard to maintain the farm and take care of our animals so that we can get through this crisis.
“We cannot stress enough how vital the help from the community will prove to work through this crisis.
"As such, we have set up an Amazon shopping list and a Go Fund Me page so anyone who wishes to make a contribution, no matter how little, can help us and provide supplies to keep the farm going from the safety of their homes.
“We are incredibly grateful for the overwhelming support that we have received to get LOVE Gorgie Farm going. The generosity of the community has surpassed all our expectations thus far and we are sure that their invaluable help will continue to amaze us as we work through this critical moment.”
Those wanting to contribute should find the wish-list here https://www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/1U51K7PPGAJ2S?ref_=wl_share and the Go Fund Me page here https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/LoveGorgie?utm_term=Kr264QwB9
