The Partners
Hill Holt Wood
Hill Holt Wood is both an ancient woodland and a successful and nationally recognised environmental social enterprise. It is a not for profit organisation limited by guarantee.
'Proving the value of ancient woodland in the 21st century'. Hill Holt Wood's mission statement sets out the vision of the business to demonstrate that by managing an ancient woodland in a sustainable and environmental way an income at least as good as intensive agro-business could be achieved. HHW now has a diverse array of income streams including providing an alternative education for young people excluded from school, training, eco-construction, countryside services and woodland management.
'In Perpetuum' The motto for HHW, 'forever', says it all as the underpinning ethos of all we do at Hill Holt is sustainability - the sustainability of the environment, the community and the income generation. A key element is the design of all the buildings on site. The business has worked closely with most East Midland universities to push the boundaries of eco-design. The latest rammed earth conference building, the WREN Hall, adds to existing straw bale and local timber structures, all 'off-grid'.
Research by the University of Leeds identifies the HHW business model as 'sustainable enterprise' and the Department of Business is putting Hill Holt at the heart of its thinking on 'Responsible Futures.'
Hill Holt Wood, sustainable enterprise, a role model for climate action.
Nigel Lowthrop BSc, MBS, CBiol, FRSA
Nigel is a biologist and countryside manager who developed the concept of 'economic conservation' which led to the purchase of Hill Holt Wood in 1995. The business developed, becoming a social enterprise in 2002 and the land was transferred to community control in 2004. Shortly after this Nigel stepped aside as CEO but remains on the Board and is again taking a more active part to develop new business.
Following three years as Chair of SEEM and two years on the Board of the Social Enterprise Coalition, he is now on the Third Sector Task Force for Climate Change, Sustainable Development and the Environment leading for social enterprise on the environment. The holistic approach to development has led to Nigel being called on to speak at a wide range of conferences from architecture to rural crime and energy to sustainable business.
The family live off-grid in an eco-home practising the sustainable future they advocate.
Click here to return to the top
SEEM
Social Enterprise East Midlands (SEEM) supports and advises social enterprises across the East Midlands. We are a community of social enterprises, social entrepreneurs, business support bodies and individuals working to develop the movement in the East Midlands. Our role is to create an environment in the East Midlands where social enterprise can develop and grow. We do this by:
- acting as a regional voice for social enterprise
- influencing and shaping policy
- sharing understanding of social enterprise structure and good practice
- providing news, information and resources
- running training and networking events
- developing markets and business opportunities
Ric Ellis (AIEMA) (ACIWEM) is the Business Development Manager for Social Enterprise East Midlands (SEEM)
Ric has 20 years' experience in logistics and logistics planning and over ten years' experience delivering environmental training, environmental consultancy, business support and waste reuse and recycling services. This includes the development and delivery of Environmental Management Systems (ISO14001:2004 BS8555 and EMAS) project managing a number of low carbon economy based social enterprises and the delivery of environmental training.
Previous consultancy clients have included County and District Local Authorities, Shanks Waste Management, PepsiCo International and the Samworth Group.
Click here to return to the top
Stride
STRIDE is an award winning social enterprise operating in Leicester and Nottingham. Over the past 9 years we have been helping local people gain work-related skills, experience and education and have successfully encouraged and supported many into employment.
We provide work experience and accredited training opportunities in real business environments including our warehouse, retail outlets, vocational training departments and support services. Our vocational training includes: Basic Construction Skills, Horticulture, Hair and Beauty, Motor Mechanics, and Catering. We are also accredited to provide ‘Skills for Life’ training in Literacy, Numeracy and ICT.
STRIDE holds the “Investors in People” quality standard award and is an approved City and Guilds Centre. We are committed to the provision of high quality training in a real working environment. We help disadvantaged people to realise their full potential and change their lives for the better.
David Brazier
David Brazier, Chief Executive Leicester STRIDE, set up STRIDE in 2000 with a man, a van, and a plan. Now one of 4 Social Enterprises in a group structure, STRIDE assembles, recycles, renovates, sells and delivers furniture and in so doing creates work and training opportunities for disadvantaged people. The group now employs 65 Staff, turns over £2 million per year, and has net assets of over £1 million. The plan worked out well.
Originally from London, David studied economics at Leicester University, and started his career as a Housing Advisor. He spent 12 years as a Local Councillor before ‘seeing the light’ and starting several successful social enterprises.
David is the current chair of the Trustee Board at Voluntary Action Leicester.
He believes that Social Enterprise is the key to creating independent bodies able to advocate on behalf of those people and communities that are excluded from both wealth and power.
Click here to return to the top
THE TREES GROUP
A Multi-Discipline Social Enterprise in The East Midlands
TREES (Training, Regeneration, Education, Employment and Sustainability Ltd) is proud to be a significant player in the East Midlands social enterprise economy. With two diverse subsidiary social enterprises under our umbrella, we’ve shown that our objectives to build better lives and better communities can be achieved in a self-sustaining enterprise environment. In doing so, we’ve brought excluded groups into the labour market, raised skills levels, embraced a new learning agenda and much more.
The Organisation TREES is run by an unpaid voluntary board, which is supported by the Group Chief Executive John Montague. The group benefits from expert staff support from across the companies and is proud of its successful record in balancing financial returns with the ability to deliver social outputs via gift aid from the group. TREES is able to successfully compete in the commercial market place in winning business and providing excellent customer
service. “Our customers not only get the best service, but can be similarly proud that they contribute towards our support to generate jobs and support communities,” says John Montague.
As well as the quality services of our subsidiaries, we provide consultancy support to companies that are looking for solutions in a changing marketplace, assistance to get a fledgling social enterprise off the ground, or to those who explore the benefits of a group structure.
Furthermore, our team includes authoritative public speakers who can talk on all aspects of social enterprise.
John Montague
John Montague B.Eng (Hons) FRSA is the Group Chief Executive of TREES. His passion and drive are to ensure that through procurement and innovative delivery of products and services maximum opportunity and gain is achieved for individuals and communities.
Other roles include: Chair of APEX, a £2 million revenue charity in Leicester delivering education services to ex-offenders and excluded youth; Trustee of Steps, a Leicestershire based charity delivering pre-school learning to children with motor neurone diseases; Board member of East Midlands CAN and Council member of the Social Enterprise Coalition.
Click here to return to the top
