Growing Wellbeing in Loughborough Junction

The Loughborough Farm has launched a Crowdfunder to raise money to support local people to keep healthy and well in this first Covid-19 winter and to reduce loneliness and isolation.

The Loughborough Farm, based in Loughborough Junction, supports the community in creating a greener, healthier and more resilient neighbourhood through various community-focused activities and initiatives. The money raised will enable the Farm to continue its work by running workshops on everything from healthy cooking, DIY and wood carving, fermenting, music, connecting with nature and coping with grief.

The new plans, designed to build on the success of the Farm’s summer health and wellbeing workshops, aim to boost physical and mental health during challenging winter months by promoting the benefits of healthy eating, time in nature in local parks and open spaces, and socially-distanced neighbourhood outreach on our local estates.

Funds will allow Loughborough Farm to continue growing vegetables for volunteers and the community with surplus used at their sister project, The Platform cafe, who provide free meals to local residents in need. A successful fundraiser will also increase the Farm’s reach and capacity, ensuring more growing sessions are possible, and more produce is cultivated for distribution and social wellbeing. Loughborough Farm Project Co-ordinator, Emily Myers, comments: “We recognise that this year has been a challenge; an isolating and hard time for people’s wellbeing.”

Myers continues: “Loughborough Farm wants to support people’s physical and mental health during these coming winter months, and we really need your support to help us run our winter workshops and nurture the growing work we do through the Covid winter and beyond.”

The Loughborough Farm opened in August 2013 on a piece of land which had lain derelict for 25 years.  The Loughborough Junction Action Group (LJAG) only had temporary permission from the owners Lambeth council to occupy the site, choosing to grow in 100 large builders bags of top soil donated by Barratt Homes.

Loughborough Farm has until 30th October to reach its target of £6000 to receive any of the pledged money, the fundraiser can be found here.