As secretary of the East Brighton City Farm, I was disappointed by criticism of its receipt of £20,250 from EB4U for our feasibility study (The Argus, September 12).

We have been working to establish a City Farm for more than three years. Our working group is made up completely of volunteers, who are all residents, workers or ex-residents of East Brighton and each put in several hours work per week.

We are working in response to the residents' own desire for a City Farm in this area, as demonstrated by our own community consultation and the results of the EB4U Place-making surveys.

Our aim is to build a City Farm on our chosen site at the North end of Sheepcote Valley, at the East of Whitehawk.

The farm will function as an educational centre, teaching residents and children on courses ranging from sustainable building techniques to rural crafts and animal care.

We will be giving a home to a large variety of farm animals. The farm will also promote organic horticulture and healthy eating.

It will incorporate a meeting room, classroom and children's sustainable play area.

Much as we would like to stick a field full of animals on site, with little or no expenditure, we realise this is impossible.

Who would look after the animals and maintain their security? Where would they go for shelter? How would we ensure the safety of people visiting the animals?

These are all questions to which we have had to find answers. And because we are just a bunch of ordinary people who have never done this before, we cannot supply the answers.

We have to turn to professional people for help.

The money which we have received from EB4U we have spent (or have earmarked to spend) on community consultation, employing a consultant (to liase with the council, which owns our site, and conduct a study into the feasibility of the farm), architects' fees, soil surveying, planning permission, volunteer training and research.

The £20,250 is enough to take the project to the planning stage and will last until next year when we start building.

City Farm will be of great benefit to the people of East Brighton. Providing jobs and training, it will be run by and for the community. It will also raise the profile of the East Brighton area.

So has this grant really been money wasted?

Anyone who wants to find out more can look at our web site, www.ebcityfarm.org.uk

-Angela Airlie, secretary, East Brighton City Farm, Woodlands Close, Peacehaven