THE team behind Oxford City Farm are on a long and winding road to realising their agrarian dream.

Thankfully, that road is now a little less bumpy, after a small army of volunteers took the day off work to lend a hand.

Gas engineers who normally help keep Oxfordshire's network up and running and charity workers from Oxfam visited the farm on Friday.

Almost 60 employees from the two organisations spent the day helping make the farm more accessible for visitors.

The 28-strong SGN team helped prepare and lay a 130m long path around the perimeter of the 2.5 acre farm to allow visitors to stroll around.

The company got involved after staff helped create a new horticultural therapy nursery at Cutteslowe Park last summer.

Oxford depot manager Richard Mendham said: "When the project manager for that scheme asked us to get involved with Oxford City Farm, we jumped at the chance.

"Laying the path is more than a day's work, so we're hoping to spend some more time here finishing the job off in the next few weeks.

"The city farm also backs onto a care home, so we've been asked to extend the pathway up to the boundary.

"Later in the year the plan is to put in a gate giving care home residents their own access to the farm."

On the same day, staff from Oxfam's international headquarters in Cowley also sent a team of 32 volunteers to help with laying raised flower beds, attacking bramble roots, pulling up ragwort, weeding and harvesting in the polytunnel.

The charity's head of supporter services Paul Mullins said: "My team first volunteered with Oxford City Farm last year and enjoyed it so much that we came back.

"We are helping to create a thriving outdoor space that the whole community will enjoy for years to come.

"Spending a few hours outdoors getting back to nature is an added bonus."

Oxford City Farm chairman Lucie Mayer said she was thrilled to be welcoming SGN and Oxfam to the Florence Park site and thanked them for their 'transformational' work.

She said: "This type of partnership is a win-win situation.

"The farm benefits from receiving materials, funds, expertise and people power from the volunteering organisations, and the teams involved get a chance to participate in meaningful community-based activities that make a real difference.

"We are keen to grow this area of our activity and I would urge any local organisations interested in volunteering at our amazing site to get in touch."

The city farm, which signed a 40-year lease on its site in February, is hoping to 'engage people with food production' and promote healthy eating.

The team are currently trying to raise £12,000 to bring electricity and water onsite. See crowdfunder.co.uk/help-build-oxford-city-farm