College Farm Trust partners with Jeremy Coller Foundation to pursue public reopening

College Farm Trust has struck a long-term partnership with the Jeremy Coller Foundation to help fund the refurbishment and rebuilding needed to reopen College Farm in Finchley. The plan depends on regulatory and planning approvals, but the move could bring the long-closed site back to the public after more than 25 years.

Why it matters: - College Farm has been closed to the public for more than 25 years. - A reopening would restore a local landmark in Finchley and create a new public space for education about farming, animals and food systems. - The site’s buildings are in poor condition, and many contain toxic asbestos, making outside funding essential.

What happened: - College Farm Trust said July 23, 2026, that it has partnered with the Jeremy Coller Foundation to create the conditions for refurbishment, rebuilding and reopening of College Farm. - The agreement is aimed at potential funding for the site, subject to the right regulatory and planning consents. - College Farm Trust owns College Farm in Finchley and holds the site on charitable trust. - The trust said the farm has been closed to the public for over 25 years. - A new College Farm Trust board of trustees was appointed in May 2025. - The board includes former Finchley and Golders Green MP Mike Freer and Finchley Society Chairman Mick Crick. - Chris and Jane Ower have run College Farm for almost 50 years and support the reopening plan.

The details: - College Farm includes Grade II listed farm buildings, plus ancillary barns and offices that would need refurbishment or rebuilding. - The trust said the cost of that work is likely to be very substantial. - The Jeremy Coller Foundation is a charitable institution focused on positive impact on global issues, including a sustainable food system. - The foundation is also the principal funder of the Science Museum’s Future of Food exhibition in London. - At an Extraordinary General Meeting on June 6, 2026, members voted to adopt new Articles of Association. - Under those articles, the Jeremy Coller Foundation became the sole member of College Farm Trust. - College Farm Trust will remain an independent registered charity with the same objectives and its own board of trustees. - College Farm Trust says it will continue to focus on managing and conserving the farm’s environmental, historical and architectural heritage. - The trust’s charitable purpose includes educating the public, especially children, young people and disabled people. - College Farm is located at 45 Fitzalan Road, London N3 3PG. - College Farm Trust was established in 2006 and is registered charity 1074936. - The Charity Commission opened a statutory inquiry into College Farm Trust in August 2024 over concerns about former trustees’ decision-making. - The Charity Commission appointed an interim manager to oversee the appointment of new members and trustees.

Between the lines: - The partnership gives College Farm Trust access to a major charitable backer after years of uncertainty over the site’s future. - The structure keeps College Farm Trust legally independent while aligning it with a new sole member that can underwrite major capital work. - The public reopening plan also appears designed to reset the farm’s role from a closed, deteriorating property to an education-focused community asset.

What’s next: - The reopening plan still depends on regulatory approvals and planning consent. - College Farm Trust said refurbishment, rebuilding and reopening will happen “in due course” if those approvals are secured. - The Charity Commission inquiry into historical matters at College Farm Trust will be completed later. - If the project advances, the farm could reopen as a restored public attraction after more than two decades behind closed doors.

The bottom line: - College Farm’s future now hinges on whether the new funding partnership can clear the legal and planning hurdles needed to bring the Finchley landmark back to life.