Down to Earth Environmental Education Centre & Community Farm is owned funded and managed by Southampton City Council who provide a   subsidy of £20,000 per annum. This contributes towards the cost of  employment of the Centre Manager and two part time staff and towards the day-to-day running costs of the Centre building's farm and garden all of which are essential to the educational programmes run at the Centre. Income from school visits, school holiday activities, sale of produce and room hire make up the shortfall in annual running costs.

The Centre budget and income provide only the basics. Any additional community project's facilities or equipment are provided by the Association of Friends of Down to Earth through fundraising events and funding applications to outside bodies. In addition the community volunteers collectively put in over 70 hours a week of work on the farm alone. Without this partnership between Southampton City Council and the community this project would not be sustainable.

April 2008 Update

Down to Earth is situated in the grounds of Millbrook Community School and is managed by the school governors. Millbrook school will cease to exist from the end of August 2008 when it closes along with the nearby Oaklands Community School. On the 1st September 2008 a new school will open based on the Oaklands school site but using the Millbrook school buildings as an annexe. This new school called Oasis Academy Lord's Hill, will be funded directly by the government as part of their programme to establish academies across the country. The staff and buildings will be transfered from Southampton City Council to Oasis and will come under the managemnt of a new board.

Down to Earth will also become part of the new academy as from 1st September 2008. The new Principal of Oasis Academy Lord's Hill Mr Ian Goulding is keen to make full use of the unique facilities at Down to Earth and to integrate the use of these facilities fully into the academy curriculum. This will inevitably mean changes to the management structure and staffing particularly as the current Centre Manager Ian Limbrick is moving on to a new challenge outside the education sector.

Over the next few months Oasis Community Learning will be discussing the future with various stakeholders, including the Association of Friends of Down to Earth, to determine how Down to Earth will operate and the services it will provide from September. It's and exciting time at Down to Earth and we look forward to reporting positive developments over the next few months.