Operation Farm is reviewing its future – tell us what you think!

After 15 years of promoting food, health and wellbeing around Tameside, the forthcoming departure of a couple of key people from Operation Farm, Alison and Rob, as well as the sad passing away of Christine Clarke, is offering us the opportunity to reflect on our future and where we take the organisation – with one option that we wind up our work and close the organisation.

Founded in 2009, Operation Farm has achieved a huge amount with limited resources, we’ve run food and growing events and activities for thousands of people, invested in Hyde Park Community Orchard and Allotment and hosted the annual Abundance Tameside. We’ve done everything from music festivals and zines to podcasts! 

We have built up a considerable amount of assets: 

• A 15 year track record of fundraising and project delivery in areas including community growing, cooking, events and Abundance Tameside.
• A well known name and reputation locally. 
• A set of good relationships with partnership organisations and individuals including volunteers and beneficiaries. 
• Hyde Park Community Allotment lease with tools and facilities including a well stocked shed and compost toilet. 
• Management responsibilities for Hyde Park Community Orchard. 
• A lock up container in Hyde Park with a range of assets and tools. 
• A small membership and a committee of five people. 

We’ve worked with young people, old people and learning disabled people as well as run high profile, public events in Tameside. Our approach to growing is sustainable and climate friendly, something we’ve developed considerably in recent years.

With Rob and Alison, two well known committee members who are also involved in delivery, stepping down in 2025, the remaining members are considering a few options for the future:

1. Bring new people into the organisation with fresh ideas and energy, to build on our legacy and track record, take advantage of our assets and reputation and continue to achieve our mission of using food and growing to promote wellbeing. 
2. Working with other like-minded organisations – either merging or being taken over, again, to build on our legacy and take advantage of our assets. 
3. If neither 1 or 2 can be achieved, to wind down the organisation, transferring our remaining assets to organisations that meet the requirements of our governance asset lock. 

Could you help?

We’d like to hear from you if:

i) You are an individual with new ideas and energy who would like to contribute, either to the board or to fundraising and delivery. You may already be involved as a volunteer or collaborator or be new to the organisation.

ii) You are a like-minded, local charitable or voluntary sector organisation with an interest in working with Operation Farm or merging with us. 

Email operationfarm@gmail.com; tell us your name, your track record and how you might want to be involved or work with us. 

If you don’t have an offer but simply want to let us know your views or opinion on our future we’d be equally happy to hear from you!  

We’re soliciting views over the Autumn/Winter of 2024/5 from volunteers, partners, members and stakeholders and plan to make a decision on our future in early 2025. We are a Community Benefit Society, any proposed course of action that involves a merger or winding up would require the agreement of our membership at a general meeting. We are also an asset locked organisation, which means should we close the organisation all assets will be passed to similar asset locked or charitable organisations.