08/09/2026
We didn’t get the funding… but the show will go on! 💪🐴
This is a slightly longer post, but it’s an important one — and there’s plenty of positivity to share. ❤️
We recently applied for £100,000 in grant funding from Fermanagh & Omagh District Council to upgrade our indoor and outdoor play areas. We also applied to the Rural Business Development Scheme for funding towards upgrading our car park.
Unfortunately, both applications were unsuccessful.
Of course, we’re disappointed. These projects are a big part of our plans for the future and we were really hoping to get the funding to help make them happen.
But here’s the important part…
We’re still going to do it. 🙌
Our committee is now looking at alternative ways to fund these developments ourselves.
Across the charity, community and social enterprise sector, securing grant funding has become increasingly difficult. There is less money available, while more organisations are competing for the same pots of funding. We’ve experienced this ourselves over the past year.
Previously, we would typically receive around £12,000–£15,000 a year in grant funding. This year, that has fallen to £6,350 — a reduction of more than 50%.
More often than not, our applications are now unsuccessful. The feedback we receive is actually very positive — we’re told we have strong applications and worthwhile projects, but unfortunately there simply isn’t enough money in the pot to support everyone.
And that’s just the reality many organisations are facing.
The good news is that we don’t rely on grant funding to keep the farm running, which puts us in a fortunate position compared with organisations that depend heavily on grant funding for their core running costs.
So, while these funding decisions have delayed some of our plans, they haven’t stopped them.
We still plan to upgrade our indoor play area, outdoor play area and car park, alongside a number of other exciting projects.
We’ll just have to find different ways to make them happen — and that means becoming even more self-sufficient and relying less on grant funding.
And we know we can do it. ❤️
With your help — by visiting the farm, supporting our events, buying from our café and gift shop, attending our fundraisers, bringing your friends and family and simply continuing to support what we do — you are helping us invest in the future of Fermanagh Fun Farm.
This is a delay, not a defeat.
We’re incredibly fortunate to be able to say that we are still here, still open, still growing and that we’ve had a very successful year thanks to our amazing staff, volunteers, supporters and visitors.
Now we want to make 2027 even better. 🚜🐐🐴
Our committee has been working on a very ambitious and exciting business plan for the years ahead.
There will be something old, something new, something borrowed… and, because you asked for it, something for teenagers too! 👀
We’ve got lots planned, and we can’t wait to start sharing it with you.
Thank you, as always, for believing in Fermanagh Fun Farm and supporting us.
Without our visitors and our community, we simply couldn’t do what we do.
The funding might not have come through this time — but the show will go on. And we’re only getting started. ❤️
Keep an eye on our socials for lots more updates over the coming months! 🌱🐴
