Cllr Poyser with his wife, Emma Barker

ISLINGTON’S new mayor is hoping to raise vital funds to ensure a city farm’s survival.

Councillor David Poyser has chosen Freightliners Farm, in Paradise Park, Holl­oway, and CARIS, a com­munity service for home­less people, as charities for his mayoral year.

The farm has launch­ed a campaign to raise thousands of pounds. Cllr Poyser said: “It’s not just an urban farm for me to take my child to parties there, it does a lot of important community rehabilitation and it’s really dynamic.”

Cllr Poyser chose CARIS after spending nights volunteering – and sleeping side by side at churches with the homeless people it helps.

Cllr Rakhia Ismail is the new deputy mayor.