Inspiring pilot project upskills jobless while tackling gardening challenge
A unique pilot project is bedding in for residents in East Belfast, thanks to a special scheme from Inspire Business Centre and the Housing Executive.
Inspiring Enterprising Garden Maintenance is a fledgling social enterprise which combines upskilling for local unemployed with delivery of an essential service for tenants who need help with their gardens.
At the end of the 6 month pilot, it is hoped the project demonstrates enough promise in terms of employment potential and addressing community need that it blossoms into a sustainable social enterprise.
“We offer a garden maintenance service for tenants who cannot do the job themselves due to age or physical incapacity,” said Dr Mark Brotherston, CEO of Inspire Business Centre, the enterprise development agency behind the project.
“The aim is to train unemployed local people in basic tasks like grass cutting and general garden maintenance and to offer this vital service in partnership with the Housing Executive to tenants who would otherwise find it difficult or impossible to maintain their gardens.
“We have been going for a couple of months now, cutting the grass for 12 households in Ballybeen once a month while equipping our budding gardeners with the right skills to take them on a pathway to employment.”
Inspire Business Centre, which has been growing businesses and social enterprises at Dundonald since 1995, aims to build on the success of the pilot by setting up a bespoke Garden Maintenance Academy to facilitate upskilling opportunities.
Pamela Johnston from the Housing Executive said: “This is an inspirational project which we were very happy to support in Ballybeen through our Community Grants scheme.
“The pilot programme is delivering great benefit to the local community, particularly our elderly and vulnerable tenants, and we believe it has the potential to grow into a viable social enterprise.”
Caption: Ballybeen tenant John Anderson (right) can relax thanks to a new pilot garden maintenance service from Inspiring Enterprising Garden Maintenance and the Housing Executive. Pictured, from left, are horticulturalist Stewart Ferguson, Inspire CEO Mark Brotherston, gardening trainee David Dawson (19) and Pamela Johnston, NIHE.
