We are crowned BaNES Green Business Leader of the Year!

The Community Farm is delighted to have won Bath and North East Somerset's (BaNES) Community Award for Green Business Leader of the Year alongside twelve other fantastic individuals and organisations who were also being recognised as having made a positive contribution to their communities. Our esteemed MD Kim went along to collect the award in Bath's Henrietta Park where seven blossom trees were planted for the winners to help extend the green canopy across the district. We can't think of a better prize!

 

In our application we outlined what we believe we achieve in this field for the folk of BaNES and this was more than enough to convince the judges that what we do here is something of great value in our communities: Today we face crises of the cost of living, climate, biodiversity and public health. This isn’t coincidental - it’s interconnected. So is the solution. That’s why our strategy rests on four key pillars: food, farming, communities and wildlife.

 

• A direct connection to nature for B&NES communities;

• A bridge between diverse cultures and communities through the land;

• An opportunity to utilise (or overcome) myriad forms of lived experience;

• 6,778 people who visited The Farm with a greater understanding of food, nature and our climate;

• 39% of those people gained employability skills;

• 55% have new opportunities for social and environmental action.

The Community Farm is a Green Business Leader because it:

• Is a buyer and distribution hub for food from 43 B&NES producers to local customers through partnerships worth £300,000 annually.

• Creates opportunities and provides support to up to 400 local residents annually to learn new skills, and gain confidence and experience towards securing paid employment in the green business sector, including a new partnership with Chew Valley School.

• Has helped raise the profile of the region and its rural businesses via appearances on Countryfile and Radio 4 amongst others.

• Has designed and is implementing a targeted inclusion strategy to increase representation in our workforce, volunteers and Management Committee, a crucial investment given farming is one of the least diverse business sectors. This includes partnerships with Aid Box Community, Black2Nature and (previously) Bristol Drugs Project.

• Has created a sanctuary for wildlife at the heart of a thriving business, including a range of rare plants, insects and birds.

Needless to say we were absolutely thrilled to win this award - find out more about all the winners!