Swansea Community Farm: Maximising Donation Opportunities with Four CollecTin Solos

The only city farm in Wales, Swansea Community Farm is a much-loved, community-led, and award-winning farm that provides a welcoming green space for visitors, volunteers, and local families.

Background

As a charity, the farm operates largely through volunteers and is funded by donations, grants, and earned income. Before using CollecTin, the team relied primarily on traditional cash-based fundraising methods such as donation buckets and a handful of fixed collection boxes positioned around the farm. While this approach worked to an extent, it increasingly fell short as more visitors arrived without cash. People often wanted to donate but simply had no way to do so.

The farm trialled a digital payment system a year before switching to CollecTin, but it proved unreliable and was fixed to a single location. After several breakdowns, they were left without a digital donation option for months. With visitors frequently asking if they could donate by card, and with their 25th anniversary celebration approaching, the need for a flexible, dependable contactless device became clear and was the driver for the decision to purchase CollecTin Solo devices.

Solution

The Farm purchased one CollecTin Solo and soon followed up with three more. It now uses a mix of fixed and handheld setups to maximise giving opportunities:

• Fixed points: Devices are stationed at key high-traffic areas, including the main entrance and exit.
• Events: During their 25th anniversary celebration, multiple devices were placed across the site to ensure visitors could donate wherever they were.
• Staff & volunteers: Devices are used during special activities, guided sessions, and at event activity hubs, allowing staff and volunteers to encourage on-the-spot giving.

This flexible approach ensures donations can be collected consistently, regardless of location or event type.

Results

The introduction of the CollecTin Solos has noticeably improved both the volume and consistency of donations. They have seen:

• Increased donations: The farm has seen a rise in both the volume and consistency of donations, especially during events when fewer visitors carry cash.
• More spontaneous giving: Visitors donate more readily when they see the device -even if they hadn’t planned to.
• Positive donor feedback: People appreciate the ease of use, speed, and clarity of suggested donation amounts.
• Improved staff experience: Staff and volunteers report that the devices are simple to set up, reliable, and easy to move. Importantly, they no longer have to turn away willing donors who don’t have cash.
• Event success: During the 25th anniversary celebration, the additional devices significantly boosted overall donations compared to what traditional cash collections alone would have achieved.

Louise Watkins, Communications and Business Support Officer, says, "CollecTin has helped modernise our fundraising and made donating feel much more accessible and integrated into the visitor experience. The devices are reliable, intuitive, and flexible enough for everyday use as well as major events. Having multiple units around the farm at events means we can meet donors wherever they are, and that has made a real difference to our income."