The truth of the matter here is that it wasn't exactly a standing start. We all came from a horticultural provision background, working for a land-based college in London. We all knew that we could make a better job of providing horticultural training than we were allowed to resource at the college. Our department valued the revenue that 14 to 19 education brought to the department, but it's excellent results were hugely undervalued. When this provision was completely uprooted we all knew what we had to do. We simply moved the provision to more fertile ground and replanted it! That replanting started off as a solution for re-engaging 14 to 19 year old learners in Watford as Watford Community Garden CIC (Community Interest Company), but grew within the first two weeks to include Welwyn Garden City. It turns out that Watford's solution was Welwyn Garden City's solution too and we entered into a partnership agreement with Digswell Nurseries. Good news travels fast! Within a month we had had calls from Hemel Hempstead and then St Albans and Stevenage as they too found that a Community Interest Company that could improve the 'Every Child Matters' and 'Eco-School' status of their schools by working collaboratively with those schools, that raised learner engagement and which lead to learners gaining nationally recognised qualifications was exactly what they had been looking for, for years. Now all the boroughs we were working in are linked up and all want horticulture teaching (or Enterprise teaching through horticulture), Community Volunteering or Environmental Conservation and Ecology teaching we have had to find some help. We offer two types of course: Practical Learning and Applied Learning. The site in Welwyn Garden City provides for our Practical Learners whilst those not adverse to a bit more writing can progress from level 1 (first year of GCSE) to level 3 (A level) at Roman Fields Provision in Hemel Hempstead. (see Courses) We always team teach and we never have higher ratios of teacher to learner than 1:9 (2:18). This keeps applied and practical learning real and produces results. We keep costs down by using a super-flat organisational structure and the CIC is a Social Enterprise (a not-for-profit organisation) so business revenue is pumped back into increasing community projects or their community capacity. We seek simply to pay ourselves the living wage we were on for course management at the London College. Luckily the rapport we enjoyed with colleagues and students at the college means we have had no problem finding helpers willing to join us in our vital work. We of course thank those helpers deeply and with sincere gratitude. As our motto at Watford Community Garden says "Each Different, All Valued".  |
A Community Interest Company |