Mires Beck

Background

Mires Beck Nursery is situated near the village of North Cave in the East Riding of Yorkshire.  In October 2004 they celebrated their 10th anniversary as a registered charity.  The nursery’s main aim is to provide horticultural training and work experience for people who have a learning difficulty or disability. The objective is to help them to develop their skills, increase their self-esteem and boost their confidence.

The nursery site is 10 acres and they grow a wide range of herbaceous perennials – good quality plants which they sell to visitors and to local garden centres.  They also grow wildflowers of Yorkshire provenance to be used in conservation schemes, in farmland, woodland, school grounds, churchyards and private gardens.

The nursery operates on a ‘semi commercial’ basis, and takes great pride in the quality of the plants it grows.  Open Days are popular with gardeners looking for quality plants and the team exhibits and sells plants at events such as the Harrogate Spring Flower Show and the Great Yorkshire Show.

Support and Advice

In partnership with East Riding College, Mires Beck provides training for the people who attend each week.  They work in groups of six under the guidance of a supervisor and with the help of a support worker.   The training includes NVQ level 1 in horticulture and also a pre NVQ course. Both are practical courses which help participants to develop work and social skills and horticultural ability.  

Martin Rowland, the Manager at Mires Beck Nursery, spoke to Emma Buttrick, Social Enterprise Administrator, about practical, vocational training for the staff.  Many of the team originally came as volunteers and, as Mires Beck has developed, have been employed as support workers or supervisors.

“It is really important that we have a good skill level,” said Martin.  “Although these members of staff are well experienced and have been at the nursery for some time the course enhances their underlying knowledge, raises awareness of their skills and encourages their confidence.”

Future Plans

The staff and volunteers are constantly working to improve and develop Mires Beck Nursery.  They have completed a new fruit and vegetable garden, made changes to the main production area, installed a new pond and are in the middle of a huge project to replace portable buildings, currently the common room, with a large timber building.

“As social enterprises like Mires Beck Nursery expand it is important that they develop their skills base for staff and volunteers at the same time,” said Emma.  “Learning Grants are available to a social enterprise to support the acquisition of skills that will allow it to develop as an organisation and as a trading enterprise.”

Social Enterprise Humber is a Business Link Humber project sponsored by Yorkshire Forward and the European Regional Development Fund which aims to develop a strong and financially sustainable Social Enterprise sector through the following objectives:

• Growing bigger, better, more sustainable and more effective individual social enterprises.
• Creating new social enterprises with a focus on sustainability and quality.
• Developing a bigger market environment for social enterprises, and raising the profile and capability of the sector to deliver high quality services for the private and public sectors.
• Stimulating partnership developments with all sectors, public, private and voluntary/community.
• Facilitating segmented network activity to encourage peer support, information exchange and informal learning.
• Raising the profile and quality of sustainable social enterprise support within the sub-region, and building capacity, skills and understanding within the support infrastructure.

For further information contact     
Emma Buttrick
Social Enterprise Administrator
        Business Link Humber
        Tel 01724 291526
        Fax 01724 291511
        Mob 07795605228
        www.sehumber.co.uk