Bishopwearmouth Co-operative in Sunderland – an award-winning plant nursery – has bought a Victorian lodge house, to convert into a traditional tea room.
The co-op, 60% of whose workers have disabilities, completed the purchase with a loan from Co-operative & Community Finance.
It has been running a garden centre near the city centre since April 2017, and also provides landscaping and floristry services. It won the Social Enterprise Award at the Sunderland Echo Portfolio 2018 Business Awards.
Bishopwearmouth offers work-based placements and volunteering opportunities to adults with learning disabilities, physical disabilities and enduring mental health needs. There are currently 16 employees with disabilities and 10 additional staff.
The lodge house is next to the garden centre, allowing the co-op to start a new income stream by serving local residents, and visitors to the garden centre and nearby crematorium.
“There is a lot of work to be done,” said managing director Shaun Donnelly. “New flooring, new wiring, new kitchen, new toilets and making the whole premises accessible. There is a lovely walled garden that needs landscaping. With luck, the tea room should be open in June.
“We want everyone to feel that they have ownership of the venture and have a say in what happens. We want to have a good cross section of the staff on the board. We also want it to be a lasting asset to the community.”
Ian Rothwell, investment manager at Co-operative & Community Finance, said: “When I visited Bishopwearmouth, I was struck by how passionate everyone was about their work and also about being part of a co-op. It is a great example of the positive effect of giving workers of all abilities an equal say.”
