Services For People
Facilities, tours and services provided by the farm for the public, schools and more.
Schools, Groups and Learners
Guided Tours
We offer
guided tours for
nurseries, schools and other groups at
£2
per head (no charge for teachers/leaders). Tours must be
booked, last
one hour and usually allow touching and feeding of some livestock. We
can gear the tour to your choice of topic be it 'New Life', 'Caring for
Animals', or 'Food and Farming'. If there are more than about 12 or 15
on the tour we will split you into two groups when possible, to give a
better experience.
Minimum group size is 5. Booked groups may reserve a room free of
charge for snacks, bags etc.
Groups are also welcome to visit the farm self-guided, please make
a
donation. You can hire a room as a base for £10 per hour.
Contact the Education Officer for further details on the above.
Workshops
As well as guided tours, you can take part in a 'workshop'.
These last
2 hours and combine the guided tour with an activity. A good example is
our 'Harvest' workshop, where pupils tour the farm learning about the
importance of cereals as food for us and our animals, then, in the
classroom, they thrash and winnow wheat then mill the grains to make
flour. We then (using clean flour!) make and eat pancakes.
These
Workshops cost
£4
per head. We can gear them to your choice of topic. contact the Education Officer for more
information.
City Farm: Global Farm
A
new
interactive workshop, initiated as part of the 'City Farm :
Global Farm' project which was
run jointly with
VETAID,
an Edinburgh based charity, is designed to complement the curriculum.
Suitable for Primary 4 to 7, it will develop understanding of the
challenges faced by food producers and rural communities around the
world, and the influences we have on them. The project will expand the
use of the farm as an educational reso
urce
while promoting both local
and global citizenship.
CPD
also offered.
Contact the
Education Officer for further details.
Keep watching here for a downloadable copy of the cow game. We have also put together extra sets onsite that schools may borrow by request to the Education Officer.
Classes for Adults
Craft and other classes for adults are held in our purpose built Education Centre. At present there is a Singing class on Wednesday morning, Spinning on Friday mornings and Art on Friday afternoons. contact the Education Officer if you have an idea for a class or wish to run one here.
Room Hire
The Education Centre Meeting Room is available for hire for training, meetings, functions etc at (2010) £10 per hour. contact the Education Officer for details.
Information on safety during your visit can be found on the General Info page.
Special Occasions
Birthday Parties
For many years now the farm has run childrens birthday parties on Saturdays and Sundays. For details follow the link.
Mobile Pet Service
This unique service is available in and around the City of Edinburgh, we can sometimes travel outside the city so please get in touch of you are interested.
Gorgie Farm's mobile pet service will bring a selection of small animals to various local residential homes, hospitals and schools. A team of up to three staff will accompany a selection of rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, hamsters, snakes, tortoises, chinchillas and chickens to allow groups of up to 30 individuals to handle, poke and prod.
Being around animals can be relaxing, therapeutic and educational. Handling and stroking pets can help relieve stress and tension. The combination of friendly chatty Pet Lodge staff and tame, cuddly pets provide an enjoyable and stimulating visit for the service users.
The Mobile Pet Service has been running for around seven years and is extremely popular, having built up a strong reputation with users who book us again and again. Due to time constraints the sessions are only available on a Monday and Wednesday afternoon. Due to the popularity of the service forward planning is strongly recommended.
On a larger scale the Mobile Pet Service can be booked to attend local galas during the summer months. This has proved to be hugely popular at every event we have attended over the last few years and makes a nice addition to any event for young children.
Get in touch with the Farm's Pet Lodge Staff by telephone or email for availability and rates. Please see the Contact Us page.
Mucking In
Volunteering
Many people volunteer at Gorgie City Farm, doing jobs from animal care to fundraising, litter picking to computing. We also have a thriving gardening project, running several days a week. When you visit some of the staff you see will be volunteers. Working with animals is very, very popular. As such there is usually a particularly long waiting list for this kind of work and in the first instance we would offer a weekly half day slot only so we can accommodate a maximum number of people!
If you
wish to volunteer, please write or email giving your details
including what skills you can offer, when you are available each week
and which area of the farm you would like to work in. There are now
waiting
lists in many areas however we have a good record for folk moving on to
employment or further training (which then creates
openings). Some
areas are more seasonal eg the education section, gardens etc and
opportunities will fluctuate throughout the year. Contact the
Volunteer Co-ordinator for more details and basic paperwork. Here is
the
Application
Form
and the
adult
opportunities list
(with direct contacts for specific areas). Please
specifically request an acknowledgement of receipt of your appplication
form if desired; time and resource pressures mean this is not automatic
at peak times. Your name will however be added to the relevant waiting
list and contact made when you are at the top. Help us to help you by
responding to invitations to induction and letting us know when you
change address etc.
Information on volunteering opportunities for school age volunteers of 13 years and over can be found on the Kids Zone, Volunteer page.
Information on hands on Saturday morning and holiday opportunities for 8 - 12 year olds can be found on the Farmer page. These are also suitable for those taking part in Guiding or Scouting challenges such as the Baden Powell Challenge.
Placements
Work placements for school students are provided via Gateway through participating schools. Vet students* and others (including school students not included above) seeking placements / work experience should apply to the Volunteer Co-ordinator in writing, by phone or email as early as possible. See contacts. We will usually offer a 1 or 2 week Monday to Friday full time placement when space is available. NB- If you commit to one of these you (or any organisation referring you) are expected to let us know if you cannot attend.
*except for small mammal EMS seekers who should apply directly to the Pet Lodge. See contacts also.
Jobs
Details of any full or part-time jobs at the farm can be found on the About Us page.
Own a Pony Day
Friday, 2nd
April
1:30-4:00pm.
Come along and see what it's like to own a pony!
Meet the farm's pony, Red. Learn about horse's needs and how
to
look after them. Learn how to keep safe when working around horses.
Have hands-on activities including grooming, tacking up, feeding and
even have a pony ride!
£7.50 per child, 6-12 years.
Bring snack for break. Please wear boots or wellies. Booking is
essential.
Contact
Orra
by email or phone to book.
Contents
Guided Tours
£2 per person.
Widgit Literacy Symbols copyright 2008 Widgit Software
Own a Pony Day
£7.50 per person.
