Help set up a community-run plant nursery

Background

I'm Dave, and I am the Director of Green Heart Horticultural Services, a full service gardening business based in Wistaston, Crewe.

I have had the great pleasure and privilege of working alongside a student from Safe Opportunities and I have nothing but praise for him, so much so that I have offered him an apprenticeship to start in September 2024. And frankly I don't think I could have found anyone more suited for a role within my business.

I am also passionate about sustainability, with it being a core part of my business. I have long grown my own plants in peat-free compost, even before becoming a professional horticulturist, with great success.

And long before I career-changed into horticulture, I felt that my dream job would be running a plant nursery. I always enjoy propagating plants from seed, cuttings and division, with much of my current garden being grown in that way.

It is my hope that this project can bring all of these together; producing peat-free, pesticide free, quality plants whilst offering valuable opportunities to disabled and disadvantaged adults and young people.

Aims

The main aim of the nursery will be to provide valuable work opportunities to anyone who needs it - whether due to disability, mental health difficulties, neurodiversity, or other challenges which might result in being overlooked by other employers. The production and sale of plants will be the means by which to provide opportunities.

As a result, the Nursery is registered as a Community Interest Company ('CIC') - a special type of limited company which exists to benefit the community, rather than to make profit. All profits will be reinvested with the sole aim to provide more opportunities.

Whilst at the outset it will be necessary to have the support of volunteers, my long term goal is that the nursery will in time provide paid employment opportunities for young people and adults who might otherwise struggle to access paid employment.

What's next?

The first stages of this project will be to fundraise, for the set-up costs and that is where this GoFundMe comes in.

Although it may seem quite a lofty target, the £20,000 aim is just one year's rent of a currently available and potentially very suitable site. That site has a minimum 5 year lease term.

The nursery will be run with the intention of being self-sustaining, but the reality is that this is unlikely to be immediate. Ultimately the more funds raised at the outset, the more stable a foundation the project will build upon.

In order to get this project off the ground as soon as possible, and given the difficulty in sourcing truly peat-free plants, it is planned that the first C£500 will be used to purchase seed and truly peat-free plants, both as nursery stock plants and for retail sale. In doing so the project can then begin to 'pay it's way', as sales provide additional funds towards securing a permanent site.

If you are in a position to support this project financially then please do donate; every donation of any amount will be gratefully received.

And please do also share our fundraiser page with your contacts.

Thank you for taking the time to read this!

All the best,

Dave