In 2023, we decided to set up Brilliant Bamboo CIC.

26 people supported this crowdfunder, increasing to 34 plus a range of people donating as part of our ticketed events. This support for our company, to keep making things happen in our bamboo way: working with people, imagination, and with bamboo, artists, community members and nature.

We’re doing all we can to find funding for the ideas we’re developing with people where we work. We still need your help to do more! We’ve got loads of ideas and so have the people we work with.

We’ve hosted team away days, community volunteer days, events in town centres, youth clubs and green spaces.

2025 has been an epic year so far, and all the supporters so far got us to here:

- October: we hosted the UK Bamboo Summit in Stoke-on-Trent, secured National Lottery Community Fund Awards for All funding, and hosted Kings Trust project with Stoke-on-Trent College.

- August: ran events in Newcastle town centre and at our Brownfield Parklet in Stoke and Sandra’s Story headed to Sir Harold Hillier Gardens

- July: signed our lease and got to work on our Brilliant Bamboo Brownfield Parklet in Stoke-upon-Trent (Stoke Town), ST4.

- Received project funding from Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council.

- March: delivered a Bamboo Block Party and Sandra’s Story in Middleport with Middleport Matters.

- Feb - June: ran our masterclasses for artists/makers.

- Jan - March: delivered our Brilliant Botanicals project.

We’re working hard and want to have a long and fun-filled future. Help us do that with your donation!

Gemma and Brilliant Bamboo

www.brilliantbamboo.co.uk

Original post:

In June 2023 I was 40! Forty years old!

I’ve had some really thoughtful gifts from friends, family and colleagues that has also given opportunity to reflect on what I love, like and achieved and consider what the next forty years (if I’m lucky) might have in store.

After a couple of years of being a partner in a project with Orit Azaz and Imagineer alongside growers, engineers, artists, communities and a swathe of partners locally, nationally and internationally (Visit Imagine Bamboo here ). The work was a part of my brilliant day job at Appetite but has become much more. I’d love to build on the work so far and create a legacy. One I’m already working on with the same partners, new partners and collecting together brilliant people along the way.

I will be setting up a social enterprise and I need to raise some money to:

- make time for me to move it forward.

- help set up the organisation, meet new people, develop business plans and secure some of the core components for the next steps.

- raise more money for the project and organisation to put back into fairly paying people and the planet. This can act as ‘match’ funding.

- develop a model for individuals and companies to partner for social and environmental responsibility towards net zero and beyond.

- own some land, plants, and create plans for some exciting bamboo buildings co-designed with architects, artists, engineers and communities.

This gofundme will allow me make a start on the list above, which are the crucial building blocks to all the other steps in the big plan.

Help me make something brilliant happen with bamboo: grow, build, make and play! All whilst capturing carbon, cleaning air and soil quality and creating opportunities for people all at the same time.

If you’re interested in other parts of the plan. I’d love to have a chat.

I’ve been looking into community shares. You might have some land you’d like to donate, licence or long-term offer for the project. Bamboo as carbon offsetting. And more…

Thanks for reading and supporting! I’ll love you forever. Thank you for the birthday and bamboo love.