More than 90 unemployed people have started voluntary work at Hackney City Farm to boost their chances of finding a job.
The farm, established in 1984, has become a starter for those trying to get back into employment. The volunteering varies from animal care to building maintenance and gives people the chance to strengthen their CV for job-hunting.
Chris Pounds, the farm manager, said: “We’ve got a lot of volunteers in the current climate, especially people with disabilities since the disability living allowance went down. We always need people around the farm and like to help everybody in the community we can.”
The farm runs dozens of activities including pottery classes and donkey rides. Chris describes it as “the people’s facility”.
In addition it educates up to 10 pupils between 14 and 16, who have struggled to fit in at school, sent to them by the local Pupil Referral Unit. “Although we have to run the farm as a business we are really a small charity,” said Pounds. “We try to do whatever we can.”
