Growing Well

The Business Plan

Following the visit to Durham Beren produced a two-page project brief based on the visit notes made, which was used to test the idea with key stakeholders and to investigate potential sources of funding.

Beren identifies the a key milestone as informal soundings of funders which had taken place whilst the Business Plan was in preparation, notably with LEADER+ ,(which, fortuitously, was located in the same office as Beren), Rural Regeneration Cumbria and the Northern Rock Foundation . Response from all three funders was positive and encouraged the development and completion of a Business Plan during the summer of 2003.  A further milestone was  invitations to possible Board members made that summer culminating in an initial meeting in September of the same year.

Beren noted other key actions over the course of project development :

  • Involvement of James from the outset
  • Beren did not make the assumption he would be a staff member of Growing Well in the future .
  • Board development was a vital component of development work – and insisted upon by Northern Rock Foundation
  • Board did made two visits to similar social enterprises –which identified potential development pitfalls of the Growing Well proposal.