Social Farms and Gardens
What it does
Social Farms and Gardens exists to support, represent and promote city farms, care farms, school farms and community managed gardens and allotments across the UK, as a means of developing healthy, safe and cohesive communities and developing the potential of individuals.
Its charitable purposes
THE CHARITY'S OBJECTS ARE SPECIFICALLY RESTRICTED TO THE FOLLOWING:(1) PROMOTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE WITHOUTDISCRIMINATION BY BRINGING TOGETHER STATUTORY AUTHORITIES, VOLUNTARY= ORGANISATIONS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC IN A COMMON EFFORT TOADVANCE EDUCATION AND TO PROVIDE FACILITIES FOR RECREATION ANDOTHER LEISURE TIME OCCUPATION, WITH THE OBJECT OF IMPROVING THEQUALITY OF LIFE OF THE PUBLIC AT LARGE, INCLUDING CHILDREN, YOUNGPEOPLE, SOCIALLY EXCLUDED PEOPLE, ELDERLY PEOPLE, DISABLED PEOPLEAND OTHERWISE DISADVANTAGED PEOPLE.(2) ADVANCING THE EDUCATION OFTHE PUBLIC AT LARGE IN HORTICULTURE,AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION, PROTECTION AND IMPROVEMENT OFTHEPHYSICAL AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, THE REDUCTION, RE-USE AND.RECYCLING OF RESOURCES, THE USE OF RENEWABLE RESOURCES, RESPECTFOR THE ENVIRONMENT, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, ANIMAL WELFARE,COMMUNITY COHESION, CITIZENSHIP, LIFE SKILLS, THE PROMOTION OFEQUALITY AND OTHER RELATED SUBJECTS, SO THAT THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE MAYBE IMPROVED.(3) = PROVIDING EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR PERSONS WHO HAVE NEED OFSUCH FACILITIES, INCLUDING CHILDREN, YOUNG PEOPLE, SOCIALLY EXCLUDEDPEOPLE, ELDERLY PEOPLE, DISABLED PEOPLE AND OTHERWISEDISADVANTAGED PEOPLE, SO AS TO PREPARE THEM FOR ANY TRADE,OCCUPATION OR SERVICE AND THEREBY ADVANCE THEM IN LIFE OR ENABLETHEM TO EARN THEIR OWN LIVELIHOOD.(4) ADVANCING EDUCATION IN THE CARE AND CONSIDERATION OF ALL ANIMALS,SO THAT THE PUBLIC WILL LEARN GREATER AWARENESS OF AND APPRECIATIONFOR SUCH ANIMALS.(5) PROVIDING RELIEF BY WAY OF THERAPEUTIC AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIESAND FACILITIES TO PERSONS WHO HAVE NEED OF SUCH FACILITIES,INCLUDING DISABLED PEOPLE AND OTHERWISE DISADVANTAGED PEOPLE.
Causes
- What it works on
- General charitable purposes
- Education and training
- Preventing or relieving poverty
- Animals
- Environment, conservation and heritage
- Economic and community development, and employment
- Recreation
- Other charitable purposes
- Who it helps
- Children and young people
- Older people
- Disabled people
- Other charities and voluntary bodies
- Other defined groups
- The general public
- How it works
- Makes grants to organisations
- Provides staff or volunteers
- Provides buildings, facilities or open space
- Provides services
- Provides advocacy, advice or information
- Sponsors or carries out research
- Acts as an umbrella or resource body
- Other charitable activities
Where it works
- Elsewhere
- Throughout England and Wales
- Scotland
- Northern Ireland
Area of benefit in its governing document: Not Defined
Income and spending
In the year ending 31 March 2025, it had income of £1,050,591 and spent £1,113,931.
| Year ending | Income | Spending | Paid staff | Volunteers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 March 2025 | £1,050,591 | £1,113,931 | 25 | Not reported |
| 31 March 2024 | £1,391,225 | £1,611,095 | 25 | Not reported |
| 31 March 2023 | £1,464,930 | £1,610,527 | 24 | 1 |
| 31 March 2022 | £1,499,993 | £1,374,927 | 20 | 5 |
| 31 March 2021 | £1,815,337 | £1,718,176 | 19 | 5 |
Financial position
Separate measures from the charity's own returns and accounts, each with its year. Read them together: no single measure says how well a charity is run.
- Income over time
- Down 42%, from £1,815,337 in the year to 31 March 2021 to £1,050,591 in the year to 31 March 2025.
- Spending against income
- It spent 106% of its income in the year to 31 March 2025. It spent more than its income in 3 of the 5 years shown.
- Money from government
- 97% of its income in the year to 31 March 2024 came from government grants and contracts (£1,354,266).
- Largest funder
- Welsh Government gave £527,331 in the year to 31 March 2025, 50% of that year's income.
Government funding, as the charity reported it
Government grants in the year ending 31 March 2025: £574,177 from 13 grants. Government contracts: Not reported.
| Year ending | Government grants | Government contracts |
|---|---|---|
| 31 March 2025 | £574,177 from 13 grants | Not reported |
| 31 March 2024 | £1,112,759 from 18 grants | £241,507 from 12 contracts |
| 31 March 2023 | £995,302 from 7 grants | Not reported |
| 31 March 2022 | £968,077 from 6 grants | £18,000 from 1 contract |
| 31 March 2021 | £1,325,881 from 6 grants | £5,000 from 4 contracts |
Where its income came from in the year ending 31 March 2025
- Donations and legacies£1,272,547
- Charitable activities, including grants and contracts for its work£33,277
Who funds it, according to its accounts
In its accounts for the year ending 31 March 2025, the charity named 25 funders who gave £1,217,655 between them. £785,033 of that came from public bodies.
These figures were read from the accounts the charity filed with the Charity Commission by Claude, an AI model, in OpenEconomy's accounts reader. AI can misread a table, so check the accounts on the register before relying on a figure.
| Funder | Type | Mar 2025 | Mar 2024 | Mar 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welsh Government | Welsh Government | £527,331 | £726,111 | £908,079 |
| UK Government | UK Government | £172,265 | ||
| Camau Gwyrdd | Trust, company or other | £92,757 | ||
| City Bridge Foundation | Trust, company or other | £76,383 | ||
| Hilden Charitable Trust | Trust, company or other | £50,000 | ||
| UK Research and Innovation | UK Government | £46,468 | ||
| Carmarthen Food Systems | Trust, company or other | £41,701 | ||
| Carmarthen Machinery Ring | Trust, company or other | £37,988 | £5,927 | |
| NI Lottery Fund: Cost of Living & Digging Deeper | National Lottery | £34,269 | ||
| Edible Cardiff | Trust, company or other | £25,040 | ||
| Carmarthen Future Food Partnership | Trust, company or other | £23,680 | ||
| Scottish Government Fund | Trust, company or other | £20,415 | ||
| NI Seed Saving | Trust, company or other | £20,200 | ||
| Kusuma Trust UK: Londoners National | Trust, company or other | £10,863 | ||
| London Legacy Development Corporation | Trust, company or other | £9,782 | ||
| NI Acorn Farm | Trust, company or other | £8,971 | ||
| NI The Alleyways Manifesto Project | Trust, company or other | £6,700 | ||
| CACI | Trust, company or other | £5,000 | ||
| Belfast City Council | Council | £4,700 | £4,550 | £10,000 |
| Sustainable Food Places Carmarthen | Trust, company or other | £1,600 | £13,367 | £4,128 |
| Local Food Conversations Events | Trust, company or other | £1,000 | ||
| DTA Wales: Assured Growing | Trust, company or other | £542 | £7,888 | |
| The National Lottery Community Fund | National Lottery | £198,661 | £141,788 | |
| Hilden Trust | Trust, company or other | £40,000 | £40,000 | |
| European Social Fund: Gardeniser Hub | Trust, company or other | £75,979 | ||
| Scottish Govt | Trust, company or other | £37,000 | £38,000 | |
| European Social Fund: Learning Bubbles | Trust, company or other | £54,894 | £18,378 | |
| Keep Wales Tidy | Trust, company or other | £40,750 | £28,900 | |
| Carpenters Estate | Trust, company or other | £19,562 | £38,843 | |
| Kusuma Trust UK: Londoners National Future Together | Trust, company or other | £54,317 | ||
| City Bridge Trust | Trust, company or other | £10,617 | £32,541 | |
| Powys County Council | Council | £33,655 | ||
| Hello Fresh grant | Trust, company or other | £10,925 | £16,445 | |
| Acorn Farm | Trust, company or other | £14,950 | £7,475 | |
| EU fund: GreenMe | Trust, company or other | £19,950 | ||
| Carmarthenshire County Council | Council | £19,844 | ||
| London LDC | Trust, company or other | £9,782 | £9,782 | |
| Seed Saving | Trust, company or other | £15,000 | ||
| NI Lottery Cost of Living | National Lottery | £9,989 | ||
| The Alleyways Manifesto Project | Trust, company or other | £9,200 | ||
| Kentish Town City Farm: London | Trust, company or other | £5,330 | ||
| School Farms Network Conference | Trust, company or other | £5,300 | ||
| National Nature Service in Wales | Trust, company or other | £5,000 | ||
| Campaign Grant Sustain | Trust, company or other | £986 | £3,940 | |
| Green Future Association | Trust, company or other | £4,000 | ||
| London Newham | Trust, company or other | £2,575 | ||
| Esmee Fairbairn Foundation | Trust, company or other | £2,550 | ||
| Green Grants | Trust, company or other | £2,240 | ||
| Donaghadee CDA | Trust, company or other | £2,000 | ||
| European Social Fund: Gardeniser Plus | Trust, company or other | £1,500 | ||
| Lord Merthyr Fund | Trust, company or other | £1,000 |
Grants awarded to it, published on 360Giving
Funders that publish to 360Giving list 36 grants to this charity since 2004, worth at least £4,771,772.
By funder
- The National Lottery Community Fund£3,013,189, 18 grants
- City Bridge Foundation£873,600, 4 grants
- Esmée Fairbairn Foundation£580,549, 5 grants
- John Ellerman Foundation£95,261, 1 grant
- The Tudor Trust£95,000, 2 grants
- Northern Rock Foundation£51,173, 2 grants
- Nesta£50,000, 1 grant
- The National Lottery Heritage Fund£10,000, 1 grant
- Henry Smith Foundation£2,750, 1 grant
- Quartet Community Foundation£250, 1 grant
| Awarded | Grant | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 17 Apr 2025 | Henry Smith Foundation | £2,750 |
| 11 Mar 2024 | The National Lottery Heritage Fund | £10,000 |
| 21 Sept 2023 | Quartet Community Foundation | £250 |
| 18 Aug 2023 | City Bridge Foundation | £474,000 |
| 6 Mar 2023 | Esmée Fairbairn Foundation | £2,550 |
| 13 Oct 2020 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £9,500 |
| 17 Sept 2020 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £93,886 |
| 7 Aug 2020 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £4,288 |
| 24 Jun 2020 | City Bridge Foundation | £139,600 |
| 28 Apr 2020 | Esmée Fairbairn Foundation | £22,000 |
All 36 grants
| Awarded | Grant | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 23 Jan 2020 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £1,000 |
| 29 Jan 2019 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £522,039 |
| 23 Jan 2019 | Esmée Fairbairn Foundation | £191,000 |
| 15 Sept 2017 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £96,584 |
| 13 Mar 2017 | The Tudor Trust | £25,000 |
| 28 Feb 2017 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £197,050 |
| 24 Nov 2016 | City Bridge Foundation | £180,000 |
| 5 Jul 2016 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £9,963 |
| 28 Jan 2016 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £10,000 |
| 11 Sept 2014 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £804,916 |
| 30 Jan 2014 | John Ellerman Foundation | £95,261 |
| 25 Oct 2013 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £9,488 |
| 24 Jun 2013 | The Tudor Trust | £70,000 |
| 13 Mar 2013 | Nesta | £50,000 |
| 24 Jan 2013 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £600,000 |
| 20 Jul 2011 | Esmée Fairbairn Foundation | £114,999 |
| 28 Apr 2011 | City Bridge Foundation | £80,000 |
| 4 Nov 2010 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £10,000 |
| 4 Nov 2010 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £4,555 |
| 1 Jul 2009 | Esmée Fairbairn Foundation | £250,000 |
| 12 Mar 2008 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £458,434 |
| 27 Sept 2007 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £171,686 |
| 11 Jul 2006 | Northern Rock Foundation | £37,025 |
| 6 Jul 2005 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £4,900 |
| 3 Mar 2005 | The National Lottery Community Fund | £4,900 |
| 16 Apr 2004 | Northern Rock Foundation | £14,148 |
Payments from public bodies, from their spending data
Public bodies' published spending shows 69 payments to this charity worth £3,394,694 between 4 February 2021 and 14 May 2026.
| Public body | Paid | Payments | Financial years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welsh Government | £3,394,694 | 69 | 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23, 2023/24, 2024/25, 2025/26, 2026/27 |
In council meetings
Council business that names this charity, from the records councils publish, gathered by OpenCouncil. Newest first.
30 June 2026, Carmarthenshire
Named in a decision of Cabinet Member Rural Affairs, Communities, and Welsh Language
WELSH GOVERNMENT ALLOTMENT SUPPORT GRANT
11 July 2023, Carmarthenshire
Named in a decision of Cabinet Member for Deputy Leader and Regeneration, Leisure, Culture and Tourism
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE FOLLOWING GRANT FUNDS: RURAL INNOVATION FUND
In the Senedd and Welsh Government
Senedd and Welsh Government records that name this charity, gathered by OpenSenedd. Newest first.
29 April 2025
Named by Huw Irranca-Davies in the Senedd
…and support networks to grow this sector, and I look forward to seeing it go from strength to strength. Through Welsh Government support, social farms and gardens deliver the Community Land Advisory Service and are helping to tailor guidance for smaller horticultural enterprises to enable them to gr…
15 July 2022
Named in a written question from Janet Finch-Saunders
Addressed to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd.
…her programmes, also help support the development of allotments. These include Resilient Green Spaces, a £1.27m partnership project led by Social Farms & Gardens which is piloting alternative re-localised food systems using communities and their green spaces. This programme, funded through the Welsh…
Trustees
7 trustees run the charity.
- Dr Michael Hardman
- Elinor Goff
- john le corney
- Joy O'Neill
- Mary Catherine Cosnett
- Saskia Gretton
- Vicky Moller
Filing record
Of the last 5 annual returns that were due, 4 arrived by the deadline.
| Year ending | Due | Annual return | Accounts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 March 2025 | 31 January 2026 | Received 24 December 2025, 38 days early | Received 24 December 2025 |
| 31 March 2024 | 31 January 2025 | Received 13 March 2025, 41 days late | Received 13 March 2025 |
| 31 March 2023 | 31 January 2024 | Received 5 January 2024, 26 days early | Received 5 January 2024 |
| 31 March 2022 | 31 January 2023 | Received 19 December 2022, 43 days early | Received 19 December 2022 |
| 31 March 2021 | 31 January 2022 | Received 17 December 2021, 45 days early | Received 17 December 2021 |
About this charity
- Charity number
- 294494
- Status
- Registered
- Registered with the Commission
- 20 June 1986
- Governing document
- MEMORANDUM AND ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED ON 16 APRIL 1986 AND AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTIONS DATED 6 JULY 1998, 10 SEPTEMBER 2005, 5 FEBRUARY 2008 AND 4 SEPTEMBER 2010 REGISTERED AT COMPANIES HOUSE ON 22 SEPTEMBER 2010.AS AMENDED BY SPECIAL RESOLUTION REGISTERED AT COMPANIES HOUSE ON 20 JUN 2018
- Company number
- 02011023This company on OpenEconomyThis company on Companies House
- Website
- www.farmgarden.org.uk
- Council area of its contact address
- Powys
Sources
- Register details, income, spending, trustees and filing dates: Charity Commission for England and Wales, register of charities. Loaded by OpenEconomy on 2 November 2026.
- Funding from accounts: the charity's filed accounts, read by OpenEconomy's AI accounts reader on 1 November 2026.
- Grants awarded: 360Giving open grants data, from funders that publish there. Loaded by OpenEconomy on 2 November 2026.
- Payments from public bodies: each body's own published spending data, matched to the charity by OpenEconomy. 5 public bodies' data is included so far.
- In council meetings: councils' published meeting records, gathered by OpenCouncil and matched to the charity by OpenEconomy on 4 November 2026.
- In the Senedd and Welsh Government: records gathered by OpenSenedd and matched to the charity by OpenEconomy on 5 November 2026.
Elsewhere in the Edau family
- OpenCouncil: council records that name this charity
- OpenSenedd: Senedd records that name this charity
- OpenCouncil: Powys Council's meetings and decisions
- OpenEconomy: Powys's economy in figures
- OpenSenedd: the Members of the Senedd for Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd
- OpenSenedd: the Members of the Senedd for Gwynedd Maldwyn