Heeley City Farm
Encyclopedia
Heeley City Farm is a city farm
in the district of Heeley
, Sheffield
, South Yorkshire
, England
. It is a community-based and led training, employment and youth enterprise.
Heeley City Farm was founded in 1981 on land where the Sheffield South Relief road —commonly called the Heeley bypass, a scheme which blighted the lives of hundreds of local residents for 30 years— was to be built. Construction never started and the land was put to new use.
Heeley City Farm is based around a wind and sun powered mini farm and a number of environmental social enterprise
s and attractions. The focus of its work is in Heeley but increasingly it operates throughout Sheffield and into the South Yorkshire region, including work at Wortley walled garden, Dore and Meersbrook.
Now over 25 years old and winner of several national and international awards, Heeley City Farm provides environmental, health, food and farming education to around 5,000 school children and several thousands adult visitors each year. The South Yorkshire Energy Centre (SYEC), which opened in August 2006, demonstrates renewable energy and sustainable building materials and techniques and provides advice and courses for building professionals, individual householders and school parties.
Heeley City Farm maintains a much needed green space in inner suburban Sheffield with recycling, healthy living facilities, a garden centre, cafe, and charity shop. Day care and training for up to 20 adults with learning difficulties is provided along with vocational training in horticulture for up to 100 unemployed adults, youth activities for up to 2,000 young people (including young people not attending school) and support for over 100 regular volunteers.
Heeley City Farm describes itself as a community or social enterprise
; it is committed to supporting those most in need in its community
using enterprising methods. It runs training programmes (including language and Basic Skills support) and creates jobs (by developing mini enterprises). Emphasis is placed on long term unemployed adults, people with learning disabilities and those suffering disadvantage or discrimination in achieving skills and employment and young people.
Income comes mostly from social enterprise activity including public sector
service contracts, enterprise sales and consultancy services. In 2005, less than 25% of income was described as funding but this included charitable funding and grants for specific projects or activities.
The Farm recently began a program named "Digging our Roots" based around teaching young people about the British archaeological heritage. Part of this project has featured the reconstruction of an Iron Age
Roundhouse
, which began on the 31st October 2008 and is due to be completed in early 2011. The University of Sheffield
's Archaeological Department and student-run Archaeological Society are involved in the project and has been used as part of an Experimental Archaeological study.
City farm
City farms are usually community-run projects in urban areas, which involve people interacting and working with animals and plants. They aim to improve community relationships and offer an awareness of agriculture and farming to people who live in built-up areas.They vary in size from small plots...
in the district of Heeley
Heeley
Heeley is a former cluster of villages now a suburb in the south of the City of Sheffield, England. The village has existed at least since 1343, its name deriving from Heah Leah, High Lea then Hely, meaning a high, woodland clearing...
, Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is a community-based and led training, employment and youth enterprise.
Heeley City Farm was founded in 1981 on land where the Sheffield South Relief road —commonly called the Heeley bypass, a scheme which blighted the lives of hundreds of local residents for 30 years— was to be built. Construction never started and the land was put to new use.
Heeley City Farm is based around a wind and sun powered mini farm and a number of environmental social enterprise
Social enterprise
A social enterprise is an organization that applies business strategies to achieving philanthropic goals. Social enterprises can be structured as a for-profit or non-profit....
s and attractions. The focus of its work is in Heeley but increasingly it operates throughout Sheffield and into the South Yorkshire region, including work at Wortley walled garden, Dore and Meersbrook.
Now over 25 years old and winner of several national and international awards, Heeley City Farm provides environmental, health, food and farming education to around 5,000 school children and several thousands adult visitors each year. The South Yorkshire Energy Centre (SYEC), which opened in August 2006, demonstrates renewable energy and sustainable building materials and techniques and provides advice and courses for building professionals, individual householders and school parties.
Heeley City Farm maintains a much needed green space in inner suburban Sheffield with recycling, healthy living facilities, a garden centre, cafe, and charity shop. Day care and training for up to 20 adults with learning difficulties is provided along with vocational training in horticulture for up to 100 unemployed adults, youth activities for up to 2,000 young people (including young people not attending school) and support for over 100 regular volunteers.
Heeley City Farm describes itself as a community or social enterprise
Social enterprise
A social enterprise is an organization that applies business strategies to achieving philanthropic goals. Social enterprises can be structured as a for-profit or non-profit....
; it is committed to supporting those most in need in its community
Community
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
using enterprising methods. It runs training programmes (including language and Basic Skills support) and creates jobs (by developing mini enterprises). Emphasis is placed on long term unemployed adults, people with learning disabilities and those suffering disadvantage or discrimination in achieving skills and employment and young people.
Income comes mostly from social enterprise activity including public sector
Public sector
The public sector, sometimes referred to as the state sector, is a part of the state that deals with either the production, delivery and allocation of goods and services by and for the government or its citizens, whether national, regional or local/municipal.Examples of public sector activity range...
service contracts, enterprise sales and consultancy services. In 2005, less than 25% of income was described as funding but this included charitable funding and grants for specific projects or activities.
The Farm recently began a program named "Digging our Roots" based around teaching young people about the British archaeological heritage. Part of this project has featured the reconstruction of an Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
Roundhouse
Roundhouse
A roundhouse is a building used by railroads for servicing locomotives. Roundhouses are large, circular or semicircular structures that were traditionally located surrounding or adjacent to turntables...
, which began on the 31st October 2008 and is due to be completed in early 2011. The University of Sheffield
University of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
's Archaeological Department and student-run Archaeological Society are involved in the project and has been used as part of an Experimental Archaeological study.