AUGUST 2010
We have almost completed the paperwork to send to companies house. Next step looking at funding streams and the business plan.
JULY 2010
Metropolitan Support Trust are keen to know our timings for forming our legal entity and gaining additional funding before committing their support.
FEEDBACK COLLECTED
We have identified our community of interest and have collected feedback forms from 26 local organisations and individuals. The response has been overwhelmingly positive:
- "great idea and excellent business plan" (Kate Allardyce, Sustainable Haringey);
- “This is a fantastic project that would support our organisation's work” (Carina Dunkerley, London Orchard Project);
- (There are) “limited places to buy trees in London” (Chris Spiers, BTCV);
- “Very inspiring” (David Mooney, London Wildlife Trust);
- “It's an educational tool, both practical and theoretical, in the dissemination of ways towards urban sustainability. A wonderful local resource” (Marianne Cadbury, Naturewise).
We plan to develop a body of partnership organisations and involve as many stakeholders as possible in the process.
Hackney Community Tree NurseryLEARNING FROM OTHER PROJECTS
Visited Hackney Community Tree Nursery, Back2Earth and Wolves Lane Plant Nursery as part of researching similar organisations.
BUSINESS PLAN
First draft of the business plan has been written - see below. This plan needs to be modified to include a vision and mission statement, more detailed strategic objectives, a longer initial project timespan of five years, and a refined budget.
FORMING LEGAL ENTITY
We are in the process of setting ourselves up as an Company Limited by Guarantee.
FINDING LARGER FUNDING STREAMS
Since this project will have salary costs we need to identify funding streams, check funding criteria and find out when we would receive funding.
looking south
JUNE 2010
We have had a great meeting with reps from Transition Finsbury Park, Metropolitan Housing, Metropolitan Services, Haringey Council, Capital Growth and Sustainable Haringey. Metropolitan is excited by our plans and will communicate internally about how we can possibly work together.
MAY 2010
We have a draft questionnaire to give potential partnership organisations - see below. The tree officer from Haringey Council has agreed for the parks and trees department to be a partner and the park staff management is also very supportive.
8 MAY
Following a rather lovely meeting, we have decided to focus on having a community tree nursery that will:
* grow native trees from seeds of local provenance, e.g. support schools etc. getting involved with the seed gathering
* grow edible trees and shrubs to sell and for local 'edible landscapes' initiatives
* propagate local heritage varieties of apples etc
* run workshops on tree care, tree pruning, grafting etc
We are going to re-write our business plan, research what kind of legal entity we should be and write a questionnaire to collect feedback from potential users and supporters.
APRIL 2010
We have some loose plans to create a community nursery and allotments in Finsbury Park itself - and already have £980 from Capital Growth go to towards the project. At this stage we need an organising group to do things like:
- help sort out the legal agreement with Haringey Council and Metropolitan Housing
- refine the business plan
- create allotment agreement
- perhaps create some kind of legal entity for the project
