Grow celebrating 40 years with open day this weekend
Grow will open its doors to the public on Sunday – 40 years to the day since it was officially opened by then Bailiff Sir Charles Frossard.
Everyone is welcome at the charity’s Coutanchez site between noon and 4pm to explore the training facilities, enjoy tea, cakes and barbecued food, and buy plants and other goods. Members of the team will be on hand to talk about Grow and how it operates.
Activities for children will include following the trail of a cartoon character named Frollo, created by Grow crew member Abi Lawlor.
‘We are very excited to be welcoming islanders to Grow this weekend so everyone can see for themselves the outstanding training facilities which we now offer our crew,’ said office manager Carol Brehaut.
‘We have come a long way since I joined the team in 2016 when the greenhouses were in poor condition, our office accommodation and workshops were in old packing sheds and training concentrated on horticultural skills and some basic carpentry.’
Today, 40 crew use facilities which were recently redeveloped at a cost of more than £4m. Training streams include hospitality and workshop skills as well as horticulture. The new facilities also allow ancillary informal training, including administration and facilities management.
Sunday’s celebrations begin with a private reception in the morning, at which people associated with Grow over its four decades will share their memories in the presence of Bailiff Sir Richard MacMahon.
Grow was the brainchild of the late Maurice Lihou, whose aim was to provide a safe working environment for adults with learning disabilities.
Initially, six attendees grew flowers, vegetables and tomatoes.
There will be limited parking on site. A park and ride service will operate from the Guernsey Institute. Extra parking is available at DHS in La Route des Long Camps.
