A much-loved public farm faces permanent closure due to the Coronavirus lockdown, charity bosses have warned.
Easter Anguston Farm in Peterculter, run by social care charity VSA, is under threat due to the collapse in public donations during the Covid-19 pandemic
The farm, which is normally free to enter and relies solely on donations made by thousands of families that visit each year, urgently needs the public to dig deep to enable continued care for the animals and to ensure that it can reopen to the public again, free of charge, after the pandemic is over.
Kenneth Simpson, Chief Executive of VSA, said: “Sadly, as none of our fantastic supporters of the farm can visit during the covid-19 outbreak, this means we are not receiving the generous donations we normally would.
“We are urgently asking all of the people who would normally visit the farm to help us if they can by stepping forward and continuing to make a donation to Easter Anguston Farm to help us continue to feed and care for the animals and enable us to reopen again to the public.”
The loss of income to the farm and the charity’s operating costs between now and the end of June is forecast to be in the region of £10,000 per week.
VSA has been caring for the people of Aberdeen for 150 years, and during this time has supported generations of families through two world wars, the Spanish flu outbreak, and the Aberdeen typhoid epidemic.
Mr Simpson said “Today we are here for you, helping care for you or your vulnerable relatives and friends. The Coronavirus outbreak is one of the most challenging we have faced due to its highly contagious nature. Now more than ever VSA will need the support of the people of Aberdeen.”