07758 111 476
The mission statement of Cherry Orchard is to be a resource to the community demonstrating how to adapt gardening practices to make gardening enjoyable and successful for people of different ages, levels of ability, interest and needs
PROJECT CHAMPIONS
CEO - Operations and Facilities Managers
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Michael Groce and Hannah James is the founders, operations and facilities manager. Michael is an award winning commuity organiser, with 30 years of experience and Hannah is an awarding winning gardener with 10 years experience
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"It was easy for me to act as champion for the project, supported through out by Hannah, who has been a major patron to the project, her contribution has been amazing."
This means that they we will both go out offering to talk, formally or informally, about the work and projects to the community.
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We want heighten the profile of the project, leading potentially to offers of support of various kinds as well as an increased understanding and awareness of the project’s work and aims.
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The
Beginnings
Cherry Orchard is a project proposal by Cherry O Ltd, a Social Enterprise with a business strategy in place with the view of implementing a 5- year rolling business plan, Cherry Orchard adaptive garden. originally started out as an allotment with 100 Sq. meters of land, this has now evolved into 300 sq. meters of land, giving the opportunity to expanded on the idea of creating and gaining interest an holistic and therapeutic garden.
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The company started up with Hannah James gaining an allotment space, in 2012, this was a 100 Sq. meter plot and over the years she delivered the plot in doing winning various awards. And she is now recognised as a reputed gardener in her own right.
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In 2010, Hannah was introduced to Michael Groce an award winning poet and a Brixton community leader, who is the son of Cherry Groce, the woman who was shot by the police sparking the Brixton Riots of 1985. over the following years Hannah and Michael often spoke about community projects and skirting over some idea and at times worked with each on various Brixton and local Projects
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Skirting over some idea and at times worked with each on various Brixton and local Projects.
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In 2013 Hannah introduced Michael to the allotment as a way of relieving the stress he was going through, concerning his Mother’s death, and over the following years, family fall outs and subsequent Public Enquiry, when after 30 years the police finally admitted liability, confirming Michael innocence, with the family winning compensation, Michael found this rewarding and continued to work on the allotment whilst at the same time putting his name on the waiting list.
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Forward to 2017 after much deliberation Hannah and Michael formed the companies Booted and Rooted Ltd, their gardening marketing and communications social enterprise, and Rooted and Booted Ltd, a gardening produce and recycled furniture distributors, which also offers a variety of maintenance services.
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At this point, there was only the 100 sq. meters of plot 74, then Michael was offered plot 64 and Hannah was then given adjourning to her Plot 63, making total of 300 sq. meters between the two, hence Cherry Orchard adaptive garden is born.
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