AN URBAN farm is facing a race against time to raise the £40,000 needed to save a portable classroom from the landfill.

Oxford City Farm has been offered a modular classroom/kitchen but the charity has just three weeks to come up with the funds needed to relocate the building to its site in Florence Park.

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The money will pay for the relocation and transformation of the building into a fully-equipped teaching resource for people to prepare and cook fresh, healthy food grown and picked on site.

More than £8,000 has already been pledged to save the classroom via an online Crowdfunder.

Oxford Mail:

Inside the portable teaching kitchen

Oxford City Farm, which signed a 40-year lease in 2017 for its Cornwallis Road site, has become a well-established community resource. The farm has strong links with local schools, one of which no longer has use for a large modular kitchen/classroom and office on its site. The building is due for demolition and transport to landfill in mid-June. The cost of dismantling, relocating and rebuilding the unit on the farm site is £40,000. Founder and chair of trustees, Lucie Mayer, said: “We have done so much with so little in terms of resource over the last three years, positioning ourselves as an important community resource.

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"Most of our teaching has been delivered outdoors or under canvas. Gaining access to a warm and dry, indoor teaching and cooking space that can be used all year round – rain or shine – would be a game changer."

Oxford Mail:

Lucie Mayer. Picture: Ric Mellis

She added: "If we achieved our goal, the new building would enable us to build the knowledge and skills of people, of all ages, across our community, giving them the confidence to grow, cook and eat fresh healthy food. If we are able to secure it, it will represent a huge leap forward.”

Martin Ousley, Oxford City Farm Director, said people's interest in participating in farm activities had increased year-on-year, adding: "As we emerge through this crisis the farm will be there for our community. Our desire to re-home this versatile classroom/kitchen is very much about being able to increase the scale and impact of our work.”

He added it would be 'especially important' as things start to open up and people 'adjust to life post-Covid-19'.

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