Growing Communities Dagenham Farm stands as a leading model of organic farming within the city. Alice Holden and her team have taught hundreds of local young people about nature and food by welcoming them here, enabling them to sample tastes, smells and activities many of them have never experienced before.
An investment of £450,000 will enable us to establish a dedicated educational space that will inspire generations of schoolchildren, local residents and food system influencers to learn about food origins and our dependence on the natural world.
This project has the potential to become a crucial part of London’s food landscape and significantly contribute to the borough's strategic approach to food sustainability.
"The impact of your farm's contribution lays the foundation for a more sustainable and connected community. These hands-on experiences (will) deepen their understanding of where their food comes from." Teacher, Eastbury School
An accessible and inspiring space
Despite welcoming over 80 school groups to the farm in 2025, we’re currently not well set up to maximise use of the space for groups of children and young people.
Katy Barker, Growing Communities deputy director (people and places) says:
"Toilet, handwashing and refreshment areas are not up to scratch to safely host big groups. We don’t have a comfortable space to shelter against the extremes of cold winter or hot summer weather. And our entrance gate feels more like a back alley than a welcoming entrance to a community resource."
But all that will change with our dedicated educational facility, designed by Ackroyd Lowrie, which addresses all those challenges, says Katy:
"They have designed us a state-of-the-art, fit-for-purpose build project that will boost us into an exemplary educational space for children from all over London."
The plans for the new space include:
• a comfortable, sustainable classroom to host full classes of 30 children
• wheelchair-accessible, flushable toilets
• handwashing stations for large groups of kids to wash hands and stay safe
• an inviting entranceway into a sheltered courtyard and welcome area
• a clearer threshold between the education centre and the working farm
The space will welcome visitors of all abilities and increase the farm’s capacity for outreach with the local community.
Transforming young lives
The new education hub will provide a dedicated, accessible teaching space for workshops, training and educational programmes focused on organic farming and healthy eating.
- Engaging schoolchildren through hands-on learning
- Encouraging sustainable choices
- Supporting community wellbeing
- Enhancing biodiversity
"If we can turn this vision into a reality, Barking & Dagenham Council will offer us a 99 year lease, which would cement us as a leading farm school for London for generations to come. The plans are finalised. We have planning permission. We have support from the council. Now we need the funds," says Katy.
The total investment needed is £450,000. We are invited to apply for the council’s capital works funding pot to realise this transformation at the farm if we can raise match funding. The project is spade ready but we’re looking for a headline sponsor or sponsors to support the cost of the build transformation.
How you can help
Help us open the gates to thousands of local children for them to have the opportunity to leave the concrete and touch some soil - away from their screens, and into the biodiverse haven of Dagenham Farm.
Become a headline sponsor: Support the creation of our new education centre.
Assist with fundraising: Help us with fundraising efforts or connect us to other organisations.
Raise our profile: Promote our initiatives on social media and through wider networks.
“Our students have a voracious appetite for learning outside of the classroom where there is no ceiling to their achievements.” Teresa Byrne, Tutor, Barking & Dagenham College
