College Farm Trust teams up with Jeremy Coller Foundation to push public reopening

College Farm Trust said July 23, 2026, that it has partnered with the Jeremy Coller Foundation to support refurbishment and reopening of College Farm in Finchley, London. The plan depends on regulatory and planning approvals, but the move could bring the 25-year-closed site back to the public.

Why it matters: - College Farm has been shut to the public for more than 25 years, leaving a long-closed local landmark out of reach for visitors, schools and community groups. - The partnership aims to create the funding conditions needed to repair and rebuild the site so College Farm can reopen. - The farm’s listed buildings need major work, and the site’s condition has included disrepair and toxic asbestos.

What happened: - College Farm Trust announced on July 23, 2026, that it has partnered with the Jeremy Coller Foundation to support the refurbishment, rebuilding and reopening of College Farm in Finchley. - College Farm Trust said the agreement covers potential funding for the project, subject to regulatory and planning consents. - At an Extraordinary General Meeting on June 6, 2026, College Farm Trust members approved new Articles of Association under which the Jeremy Coller Foundation became the sole member of the trust. - College Farm Trust will remain an independent registered charity with its own board of trustees.

The details: - College Farm Trust is the registered charity that owns College Farm, located at 45 Fitzalan Road, London N3 3PG. - The trust said the site includes Grade II listed farm buildings, plus ancillary barns and offices, all of which would need refurbishment or rebuilding for public reopening. - The cost of that work is expected to be very substantial. - A new board of trustees was appointed in May 2025 and includes former Finchley and Golders Green MP Mike Freer and Finchley Society chair Mick Crick. - The board has been looking for a partner with shared goals and enough resources to underwrite the costs. - Discussions with the Jeremy Coller Foundation began last summer. - The Jeremy Coller Foundation is a major charitable institution focused on issues including building a sustainable food system. - The foundation is also the principal funder of the Science Museum’s Future of Food exhibition in London. - Chris and Jane Ower have run College Farm for almost 50 years and have been involved in the talks with the foundation. - The Owers said they support the plan to reopen the farm. - The farm has previously held regular open days that drew thousands of visitors before the foot-and-mouth outbreak of 2001. - College Farm Trust was established to manage and conserve the farm, focusing on its environmental, historical and architectural heritage and on educating the public, especially children, young people and disabled people. - College Farm Trust has owned the site since 2006. - A Charity Commission statutory inquiry opened into College Farm Trust in August 2024 over concerns about former trustees’ decision-making. - The Charity Commission appointed an interim manager, which led to the appointment of the current trustees. - The inquiry into historical matters at College Farm Trust is still due to be completed.

Between the lines: - The deal gives College Farm Trust a stronger financial backer, but the project still faces two major hurdles: planning approval and regulatory consent. - The Jeremy Coller Foundation’s focus on sustainable food systems fits the farm’s educational mission, especially if the reopening includes youth education about farming and food. - The governance reset at College Farm Trust suggests the charity is trying to move past its recent oversight issues and rebuild confidence around the site’s future.

What’s next: - College Farm Trust and the Jeremy Coller Foundation will need the required regulatory and planning approvals before refurbishment and rebuilding can move ahead. - If approvals are secured, the site could be refurbished, rebuilt and reopened to the public in due course. - College Farm Trust’s Charity Commission inquiry is expected to conclude later.

The bottom line: - The partnership could be the turning point that finally puts College Farm on a path back to public access after a quarter-century closure.