15/03/2024
💚🌱 SOCIALLY GROWING ZERO WASTE SHOP 🌱💚
To the community of Thurso, we’re very sorry that our communication of late hasn’t been as transparent as we would have liked and offer a clear explanation of our current situation. We’d really like to explain and let you in on exactly what is going on…
Over the last 6 – 12 months it has become clear that Socially Growing isn’t fully working in the way that we had hoped it would.
To give some back story here and for those who may not be aware
💚 Socially Growing is a community enterprise by Thurso Community Development Trust. The Trust and members of the community shaped Socially Growing into what we had planned for it to be starting in late 2020.
💚 At that time, we were as a community recovering from the impacts of the lockdown and recognised due to the challenges being experienced in the community of rising social isolation, people struggling with mental health and addiction issues that we wanted to be able to offer opportunities in the form of placements, back to work experiences and training programmes.
💚 At the same time, the profile, assets and staff of the Trust had risen through our lockdown support and we needed a larger home and office. Also, remember when we took over the Town Square Gardens and planted veg? Well, from the back of that we were offered the Greenhouses from Highland Council. Greenhouses, town centre, office, what fits well to provide more opportunities and to be enterprising and not reliant on grant funding to provide those opportunities in the community?
💚 A Zero Waste Refill Shop – which at the time of putting together these plans was bang on trend, community consultation told us Thurso wanted one, they were popping up in towns and cities all over, clear fit with taking action to protect the planet – ideal fit!
💚 So that was the plan, Greenhouses and shop which were enterprising to help support a training and support programme.
The beating heart of Socially Growing has always been to support people in Thurso with that training, skills, company and support.
But it is fair to say that the enterprise part of it isn’t working too well. The Greenhouses are still there very much supporting and offering now community growing but decisions need to be made soon regarding the Shop and if it can continue to operate.
It is tough out there on the High Street, we have so much empathy with our town centre businesses and new understanding of the challenges they are facing day in and day out. ❤❤
💚The Zero Waste Refill side of the enterprise is particularly challenging. To give an example with rising food prices, in the space of time from January 2022 when we bought our first stock to September/October 2022 when we were replenishing some of the really big bulky buys – costs had risen by around 150% overall. Hence, we’ve seen the closure in many towns and cities of shops following the zero waste refill model.
💚The shop is therefore no longer operating in a way that the heart of Socially Growing can continue to beat strongly and that then impacts on what Thurso Community Development Trust have the capacity, skills and time to give to the community. We are an organisation that is for the community, by the community and if we aren’t supporting the people in our community who need that from us, we aren’t doing what we set out to do. Over the last 6-12 months the Board of Thurso Community Development Trust have been working with and getting support from any and every agency who can help to work out where we go to next with everything. From Development Trust Association Scotland, Community Shares Scotland, Highlands & Islands Climate Hub, Highlands & Islands Enterprise – you name it the Board have gone knocking on the door of that agency to get support and advice to find a way forward. If we haven’t communicated that very well or anything else very well then we are very sorry. As volunteers keeping Socially Growing’s head above water has taken up all of our time and its fair to say as volunteers, it is a lot.
💚 We’re now reaching the end of what we can do to keep the Shop afloat in its current form and looking at options for what direction to take in the future to keep that heart beating towards what our original aims are – support, training, reducing social isolation, green skills, climate action and most of all community.
💚 We’d love to hear your ideas, we are for the community, by the community and everything Thurso Community Development Trust has set out to achieve has been shaped by the communities views, so please share any ideas you have. In the meantime, Socially Growing Zero Waste Shop is still very much here and operating albeit on reduced operating hours. Call in, support us, we would really value that at this difficult time and we very much thank you for your patience as we try to work out where to turn now.
Thurso, you are as always very appreciated for the support to our Board, Staff, volunteers and to our community. 💚💚
Thurso Community Development Trust
Board of Trustees
