The city farm teaches children about looking after animals
Cheikh, 18, volunteers at a city farm in London.“I’ve been volunteering at Spitalfields City Farm for around 2 years now. I was doing animal care at college and came here on work experience, and they haven’t got rid of me since. Some volunteers have been here for years – they love the place.
“I like it here because it’s a different sort of environment. It’s laid back, you haven’t got to think about normal work, and the people are friendly.
“City farms are good because they include the community and provide a service to schools. School children come and visit and learn about how to look after animals. We encourage them to look after their pets properly, and teach them about what they eat and how to care for them. Sometimes we take the animals into schools.“Anyone can be a volunteer on a city farm – you don’t need any experience. You can volunteer with the animals or in the garden, and you get your travel expenses paid.
“I used to live in Ghana and we had a farm there, so I’m used to looking after animals. I remember the vet coming round, giving injections and curing the animals – we have rabies there, which isn’t a problem here – so I was inspired to study to become a vet. That’s not why I volunteer here, though – it’s not for my career, just for my own enjoyment.
