We have started the Beautiful Shed project because we want to create a beautiful building which can be a focal point for the farm, as well as a place to sell our farm produce and become less dependent on grant funding.
The project will create a community hub that will provide information, bring community together and be a focal point for craftspeople in the area as well as bringing together disadvantaged, isolated groups.
The overall aim is to build a beautiful roundwood timber frame building. We have completed the frame thanks to the work of master carpenter Adrian Leaman (http://wholewoods.co.uk/), but we now need funding to complete the roof, walls, floor and interior as well as fund the wages of craftspeople working on the project.
Please fund this project so we can create a beautiful building which can be used by the community!
What we'll deliver:
- Employ master carpenter Adrian Leaman to lead the build
- Employ sessional workers to work on the build and lead volunteer groups
- Fit batons to the roof of the building
- Fit primary rafters to the roof of the building
- Fit waney edge oak cladding onto to walls of the building
- Make 2000 oak shingles (wooden roofing tiles) by hand
- Train volunteers in Green wood working
- Lay oak floorboards into the building
Why it's a great idea:
This is a great idea because it will create a prominent farm shop in the centre of the farm, allowing our farmers to sell fresh eggs, fruit and vegetables, seeds, plants and compost to the public to support them in healthy lifestyles as well as allowing craftspeople to sell their wares.
For the first time it will bring a roundwood timber frame structure to the centre of London, a few minutes walk from the skyscrapers of the Square Mile. This demonstrates that another building is possible, one that looks beautiful and walks lightly on the planet, using few fossil fuels in its creation.
We are training hundreds of volunteers in green woodworking skills, allowing people to craft their own items. Woodworking is also therapeutic, benefiting the mental health of people taking part.
Steps to get it done:
- Finishing the interior of the building
- Fitting Shingles to the roof
- Fitting the batons to the shed
- Fitting the primary rafters to the shed
- Fitting the waney edged oak cladding for the walls of the shed
- Making 2000 oak shingles (wooden roofing tiles)
- Opening the Beautiful Shed to the community
- Laying the oak floorboards for the shed
Spitalfields City Farm is a much loved community asset providing an oasis in the city and this project will create more interest and financial support to enable us to remain a valuable resource for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged members of society, to educate the local population on issues of animal welfare and healthy lifestyles and provide a refuge in the midst of the city.
