In 2009, we started with 2 acres of fly-tipped, abandoned allotments littered with destroyed sheds and greenhouses in a deprived inner-city area of Bradford. Today, Horton Community Farm is a vibrant green oasis filled with fruit, vegetables and wildlife; a green sanctuary on the doorstep of thousands of people. It has grown from a group of volunteers into a not-for-profit cooperative run by 4 paid directors. Read more about our history, here.
We help to bring the community together by connecting people with nature and each other. Our free programmes of activities are aimed at sanctuary seekers, families with 0-5’s, people in pregnancy and people wishing to improve their mental health.
Our work is creating an inspirational permaculture centre for food growing and community resilience through 5 main strands: environmental education such as forest schools, horticultural therapy, wildlife, food growing and volunteering.
Slowly but surely, we’ve developed a range of features including a therapy garden, wildlife area, orchard, compost toilet, cabins for storage and a special play area with a willow dome, clambering boulders, sandpit, mud kitchen and erectable shelter for when the weather requires it.
We are proud to be based at Cecil Avenue allotments where, as well as regenerating our third of the site, we have also ensured the other two-thirds remains accessible as allotments.
Horton Community Farm is an official permaculture LAND centre.
For our work with asylum seekers and refugees we are recognised as a Garden of Sanctuary.
We are registered as a limited company and operate as a not-for-profit social enterprise meaning any profit we generate is invested back into the project.