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My friend Tony Sharps, who has died of cancer aged 72, was a practical and sociable man – he excelled at helping troubled youngsters on the community farms that he managed.
Born in London to Pat (nee Dooley) and Bernard Sharps, whose work as a sales rep for Aer Lingus took the family to Somerset, Tony grew up in the village of Congresbury, although his warm wit and storytelling ability hinted at his Irish heritage. On leaving Backwell school he joined the Merchant Navy aged 16 and spent several years at sea or travelling and working abroad.
Tony found employment in the field of residential childcare before obtaining a community and youth work qualification at Matlock College, Derbyshire. In 1981 he joined Windmill Hill City Farm, Bristol, where he was a youth supervisor and farm manager.
His placement at Windmill Hill sparked his interest in the city farms movement, which aimed to connect people in urban centres with the natural world and to reshape the way children engage with food, nature and sustainability. He was in London for the launch in 1980 of the Federation of City Farms (now part of Social Farms & Gardens), with which he continued to be associated for many years. It has now expanded beyond city farms to encompass a network of community-managed green spaces.
I met him while were both doing VSO in India in the mid-1990s. Tony was proud of his time in the country, where he also ran a farm. He was totally comfortable at home or abroad, quick to befriend strangers, happy to laugh at misunderstandings and himself.
He joined the Lambourne End Centre in Essex as farm coordinator in 2002 and helped establish its reputation for the development of young people. Their motto “Inspired to Inspire” sums him up perfectly. In 2017 Tony was awarded a LEEF (London Environmental Educators’ Forum) fellowship recognising his excellence in environmental and sustainability education. He retired to Wells in 2022.
Despite not having excelled at school, Tony was well-read, thoughtful and intelligent. His ability to create communities and friendships was testament to his warmth and good humour, which he retained during his final treatment in hospital.
Tony is survived by his brothers, Chris and Nick, and his sister, Tess.
