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Tell me more about Poole Farm

Poole Farm We are a community farm nestled at the centre of Derriford Community Park. The park comprises 147 hectares of beautiful natural space with wooded valleys, wildflower meadows and rivers. It is sandwiched between the neighbourhoods of Leigham, Estover, Derriford, Crownhill and Eggbuckland, which until recently was in private ownership with no public access. Poole Farm has a rich history as one of Plymouth’s last working farms and although our focus is now on community involvement through health and wellbeing, education and conservation - we are still a working farm. Poole Farm is looked after with help from our fantastic volunteers and the operation is funded entirely outside of council budgets.

Poole Farm Plymouth City Council’s Environmental Planning division lead on the delivery of Derriford Community Park, which is a key policy objective in the Joint Local Plan. So far, we have secured £3.86m of external funds (TCF Strategic Cycle Network, Section 106 and Green Minds) to this £9m project to deliver key park infrastructure: community and enterprise facilities, cycling and walking networks and biodiversity enhancements.

Poole Farm exists as a resource for the city, its residents and its development will provide a space to enhance the wellbeing of our future generations. We provide opportunities for education, health and wellbeing, training and apprenticeships, food, enterprise and volunteering. Learning and wellbeing through nature is our ethos and underpins everything we do. We aim to re-connect people with nature by exploring the woods, stomping through puddles, counting butterflies, meeting the animals, learning about bees and beaver watching. We provide new experiences, break down barriers and help make nature fun! We are proud to be able to demonstrate sustainable land management that enhances and protects the landscape. It is our aim to make sure visitors leave the farm understanding a little more about how we all benefit from having a high quality, species rich natural spaces - and to know that in Plymouth there are great examples on their doorstep to explore.