Harehills ❤️ Love

Abandon hope, all ye who enter here – for there be goats!

I mean it – the cuteness is off the scale.

This story doesn’t start with goats, though. It begins back in 2019, CATCH’s young people set about designing and building their own educational farm, right here in the heart of Harehills.

CATCH is terrific in trusting and encouraging young people to take responsibility and work towards goals. Goals that they achieve and exceed working together, with dedication and commitment.

The educational farm is a fantastic example of that.

And this isn’t some vanity project; as the name implies, this is a vital source of education, not just for the kids of CATCH themselves, but other schools and groups in the area. Since 2019, the farm has expanded to include a space for chickens, and during 2021they’vee added raised vegetable beds.

This is all led by the young kids and volunteers of CATCH; they design the projects, help source the materials (much of which is from local businesses eager to help out), and they build them. Now over fifty volunteers take care of the farm, from sowing, caring and sowing vegetables to taking care of the goats, making sure they are fed, kept clean and healthy. Their volunteers are supported by a fantastic team and help from veterinary experts to make sure the animals are happy, safe, and healthy.

Seeing the photos, videos of the kids caring for animals, and the bumper crops of fruits and vegs that they managed to grow is truly inspiring.

I highly recommend following the @CatchLeeds Twitter account to see significant updates on their educational farm and the many other activities, events, and achievements they have throughout the year. It truly is a beautiful organisation to have in the area.

You can find CATCH on their own website (including a page for their educational farm) and Facebook.

You can find all the released Advent Posts here: Harehills Good News Advent Calendar 2021