The Catholic Worker farm in Hertfordshire, which looks after destitute mothers and their children, has said it faces an uncertain future unless it can buy the farmhouse it currently rents from Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity.
Volunteers from the Catholic Worker movement have been renting the property from a tenant of Guy’s, who died in February, and whose estate has reverted back to the charity. A spokesman for the farm, Scott Albrecht, said that they feared the land would now be sold to developers, and said they were looking to raise £1.6 million to buy and renovate the property. They currently support 21 women and their children, many of whom have no access to public funding, and are often turned away by other refuges.
“Our job is to take them in and care for them through the works of mercy. Then they move on to more long-term accommodation once they have an asylum application approved,” he said. “This farm was owned by the Catholic Church before the Reformation. It was taken away and given to Guy’s and St Thomas – and now we want it back.”
Gail Macdonald, head of property at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity, said that the transfer of the estate would take effect in September next year. “We have started very early discussions with the administrators of the estate in preparation,” she said. “We appreciate that a change in land management can result in unease. However we want to be clear that no decisions have been made on the future of the land. We take great pride in having transparent and sympathetic relationships with our tenants and will bring the same approach moving forward.”
Sarah Teather, director of the Jesuit Refugee Service UK (JRS) said that the farm’s support had been invaluable to the women they had referred to them over the years. “There are not many places who will house destitute asylum seekers and what is important also about the farm is that it doesn’t just provide shelter but also a community. The Catholic Worker farm has also referred people to JRS who have approached them for help, so we have had a good working relationship with them. It would certainly be a loss if the facility were no longer available.”
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