Grow invites former staff and supporters as it reaches 35
A CHARITY is aiming to track down early supporters to help celebrate its 35th birthday.
Grow Limited – Guernsey’s Rural Occupational Workshop – is holding an open day on 18 May to mark the occasion and is inviting anyone who has been associated with the charity since its inception.
Grow was the brainchild of the late Maurice Lihou MBE and was set up through the Guernsey Society for the Mentally Handicapped in July 1984.
Since then many individuals have been involved as directors, staff, attendees, customers and supporters and it is hoped that they will attend the open day to share memories and anecdotes about years gone by.
Bailiff Sir Richard Collas will make presentations to two members of staff who have been associated with Grow since 1983 – Patrick Le Tissier and Simon Ozanne.
They both joined the team at Grow as attendees in 1983, progressing to supported employees and now, vinery foreman and front of house adviser/cashier respectively.
The day will be even more poignant for Mr Le Tissier because he retires in June after 36 years’ service.
Since it began, Grow has developed from providing meaningful occupation for four individuals to currently supporting 29 people, who work primarily in horticulture growing vegetables, bedding plants, perennials and shrubs for sale.
Teams are also deployed to carry out garden maintenance contracts at both public and privately owned properties.
Grow manager Eddie Higgins said the people involved did a lot of work, including sowing seeds, pricking out and potting on.
‘There is a real sense of pride among the crew about the work they do,’ he said.
‘The sense of empowerment for our crew is palpable – happy faces while working hard is so satisfying to see for the staff who assist those who attend.
‘Our Friends of Grow Committee and volunteers along with everyone else at Grow are looking forward to welcoming visitors to our open day to show off what we do here.’
Grow has plans to redevelop the site to provide modernised, enhanced facilities which will significantly allow an increase in the number of people from the disability community attending the site.
. The open day will start at 10am at the Les Coutanchez site. There will be guided tours of the site, plants and produce for sale and a variety of entertainment stands and refreshments.
