Member Article

Gentoo and partners make Sunderland edible

Social enterprise business Gentoo Group has been awarded over £17,000 worth of Strategic Initiative Budget, SIB, to benefit green projects in Sunderland.

Just over £10,000 from the SIB has been awarded to create an ‘Incredible Edible’ green route that will encourage local communities to learn more about growing their own food and living healthy, active and inclusive lifestyles.

The green route will draw on help from local residents, community groups and schools to help plant fruit bushes, vegetable beds, herbs, create new seating areas and tidy up existing grassland along the route from St Paul’s Primary School in Ryhope to Benedict Biscop School in Doxford Park.

Sally Hancox, Director of Gentoo Green said: “Investing in projects like ‘Incredible Edible’ is one way we are showing our continued commitment to adding value to our communities as a responsible business.

“Improving the wider communities in which we work is a big part of our Art of Living vision and from the support of our Operations and Green divisions, as a Group, we are delighted to have been awarded this funding that will encourage local people and local organisations to work together, creating a sense of pride in our neighbourhoods and boosting community spirit, which is something we take very seriously as a responsible business.”

Pam Warhurst, is the co-founder of the Incredible Edible Project which began in Todmorden, North Yorkshire as a community initiative dedicated to growing food locally. The idea is to take over some unused, unloved land and turn it into communal gardens where food can be grown and shared by all for free.

Gentoo’s first ‘Incredible Edible’ green route is successfully underway, running from its Havelock housing office to the Secret Garden in Ford Estate and into Pallion, with everything from vegetables and herbs to fruit trees growing along the way.

The planters and herb gardens are helping to raise awareness of healthier eating, with local schools and voluntary groups encouraged to get involved in looking after them as way of sharing pride in their local community.

Sally continued: “By sharing skills and resources we can all play a part in supporting local communities, businesses and schools to grow and share food. Edible landscapes will undoubtedly bring benefits to our communities in Sunderland, and we encourage everyone to get involved.”

The Group was also awarded £7,250 for a community clean-up project from the SIB that will be carried out around the Ryhope and Hendon areas. It is part of the wider Clean and Grow partnership for the East of the City that will see Gentoo staff, community volunteers, children and local youth providers and the Council’s Responsive Services team taking part.

The funding has been awarded by Sunderland City Council’s East Area Committee which comprises the Doxford, Hendon, Millfield, Ryhope and St Michael’s wards.

It is one of five areas in the city – the others are North, West, Coalfield and Washington. They all have budgets that can offer grants to help community projects.

Councillor Ellen Ball, Sunderland City Council said: “East Area Committee wants to promote and encourage residents and local communities to take pride in where they live. This partnerships project will provide support to help local people clean up their streets, gardens and open green spaces by delivering a series of ‘clean-sweep’ projects and growing incredible edible landscapes for the community to use freely will encourage healthy eating and promote positive wellbeing. “

The clean-up will take place on various dates from April to October this year.

It was just announced this week that Gentoo has topped Business in the Community’s annual benchmark of responsible business, the Corporate Responsibility Index (CR Index).

Gentoo Group’s whole ethos is about believing nothing is impossible and finding new ways to challenge conventions, Gentoo aims to make society a better place to live and to make a real difference to the way people live their life.

To find out more about Gentoo, visit gentoogroup.com for more information or follow @gentoogroup on Twitter.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Jennifer Scullion .