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How you can support us.

Our project involves a significant capital investment of £2.4M to fully restore the Black Barn and to convert the adjacent buildings into a community and education hub, providing the essential facilities to welcome and host visitors to Woodoaks year-round. With major backing secured from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the HS2 Community & Environment Fund we have over £1.6M of our target funds already pledged.

Support the Black Barn Project today

Donate now and contribute towards Woodoaks Farm’s new public spaces, a new approach to farming and better nature all across the farm.

Black Barn Project

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With your help…

To bring The Black Barn Project to life we need to raise £2.4M. This will enable us to complete the Black Barn restoration and convert the adjacent buildings into a community and education hub, that will provide essential facilities and allow us to expand our welcome to visitors all year round.

Good News! We’ve already secured major backing from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the HS2 Community and Environment Fund with £1.6M already pledged. With the support of Trusts, Foundations, and businesses, we’re working to secure £500K in matched funds.

We need your help to raise the final £300K to reach our target and secure the future of Woodoaks Farm as thriving hub of community connection, restoring nature, growing healthy food and fighting climate change together.

Donate today.

01

CREATION OF THE NATURE COMMUNITY & EDUCATION HUB

The heart of the project – replacing a redundant concrete barn with a new building. Designed by Okra Studios the Nature, Community & Education hub will provide the core infrastructure to welcome visitors to Woodoaks year-round. It will provide teaching, meeting and event spaces, fully accessible toilets and a wheelchair accessible kitchen to teach the interrelationships between nature, people, food and farming. It will also secure the future of the Black Barn as a year-round event space. Our magnificent Grade II listed Barn will be able to host year-round education events and community celebrations for the first time. It will contribute future revenue as a venue for events, weddings, courses and workshops.

02

PROMOTE REGENERATIVE FARMING

The project provides a unique opportunity to engage both the farming industry and the general public with the transition of Woodoaks to organic and to regenerative farming methods. With new facilities to welcome visitors year-round we can demonstrate how changes to the farm landscape such as the creation of an agro-forestry field, improves both soil quality and biodiversity and captures carbon.

03

ENABLE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, BUILD VOLUNTEER SUPPORT

The new building and the fully restored Black Barn provide the essential infrastructure for local communities to visit Woodoaks on a regular year-round basis and to take part in a broad range of activities.

04

PROVIDE QUALITY SPACE FOR EDUCATION & SKILLS TRAINING

The new building has been designed to accommodate a double school visit (up to 60 children) by fully utilising the available space. Flexible configuration means that a valuable separate meeting room can be made available when required. The kitchen has been designed to be wheelchair accessible and will provide the facilities to enable food based teaching as well as to offer catering facilities for events in the Black Barn.

05

PROVIDING ACCESS TO A NATURE-ENRICHED LANDSCAPE

The conversion of Woodoaks to organic, the take-up of regenerative farming methods together with the facilities to welcome visitors year-round creates opportunities for more people to access a quality natural environment. By also investing in new circular walkways around the farm we can ensure visitors experience up close the rejuvenation of biodiversity and the return of wildlife and migrating birds to all areas of the farm.

1

Creating the Nature, Community & Education Hub: The Farm Team and Woodoaks Volunteers gather with Sally Findlay outside the Black Barn on confirmation of funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

2

Promoting Regenerative Farming: Woodoaks Agroforestry field, Summer 2024.

3

Enabling Community: A guided walk at Woodoaks, taking stock of the wildflower margins

4

Providing quality space: A pilot school workshop in the Black Barn ahead of our new hub being built.

5

Providing access: A regular walking group braving the rain to complete the circular farm walk at Woodoaks.