25 January 2008

Our new 90k greenhouse extension is now complete.

6 DECEMBER 2007

Ace today received a grant of £3000 towards a pilot project for an older peoples garden service from Help the Aged.

18 OCTOBER 2007

This years AGM will be held on Thursday, 29 November at 6.30 pm. All welcome. Mince pies, mulled wine, tour of new extension to green house, preview of Christmas stock, Christmas trees, fund raising raffle in the evening to be held on site at Adwick Community Enterprise.

3RD OCTOBER 2007 90K EXTENSIION TO THE ACE GREENHOUSE PROJECT

Work has already started this week on the £90k extension to our greenhouses. The Company who is undertaking the work is Hortimax, the same company who built our original greenhouses and the Climate Control for the Eden Project in Cornwall.

CABINET MINISTER WEAVES HIS MAGIC FOR 'ACE' WEBSITE MARCH 2007

Ed became the very first person to boot up the laptop and log on to the site ‘www.ace-garden.com’ that has been especially created for Adwick Community Enterprise (ACE) by Rotherham based internet specialists Bootroom New Media.

ACE is known to locals as the ‘mini Eden Project’ and trades in top quality home-grown plants, shrubs and a cornucopia of horticultural goods and services at Village Street, Adwick le Street so it was highly appropriate that Ed, the MP for Doncaster North be chosen as the v.i.p. to give the site a green light to ‘go live’ - especially as he has ‘Green Minister’ responsibilities in London and his brother David is Secretary of State for Environment.

CABINET MINISTER OFFICIALLY OPEN’S ADWICK’S ‘ACE’ JUNE 2006

Non other than the P.M.’s Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office and Third Sector Minister, Ed Miliband M.P. was guest of honour to officially open Adwick Community Enterprise (ACE) at the recent v.i.p. ceremonial launch in Village Street.

The 36 year old Member of Parliament visited the state-of-the-art horticultural social enterprise, known locally as the ‘mini Eden Project’, viewing a purpose built computer temperature controlled greenhouse with classroom, office and retail area, providing up to 24 employment placements and a host of training opportunities for one of the most excluded groups within our society - adults with learning disabilities.

The facility has grown recently to be a major success story by becoming the very first registered charity to sign a historic agreement with Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council to take over the business management of their Horticultural Learning Centre (HLC) by entering into a mutual agreement with the Council to lease the HLC to ACE for a period of 25 years at a peppercorn rent.

Ed Milliband, also Labour MP for Doncaster North said, “I am delighted to officially open Adwick Community Enterprise and learn more about how they deliver services and transform lives. They provide tremendous opportunities for adults with learning disabilities to lead a full life.”

“Social enterprises such as ACE are changing the way society and businesses interact. By reinvesting their profits in our community they provide an invaluable service. They are a great example of how to develop a business but with clear social aims and with the backing and support of the local authority.”

He added, “It was a pleasure to witness first hand the vital work that ACE perform for us in our community. I look forward to working with them in the future and I know they will provide me with a key source of information and ideas in my new role as a minister for social enterprise.”

ACE Business Development Manager, Keith Guild commented, “It’s blooming great! The service users and I were thrilled to bits and delighted with Ed’s visit. With this kind of endorsement ACE and Doncaster is not only placed on a local stage but regionally and nationally too. Today’s opening proves we’re not only growing green fingers but also growing a commercially viable business whilst contributing to sustainable communities, and helping to achieve urban renaissance. It’s is this type of co-operation, mutual understanding and forward thinking that will make a huge difference to the third sector.”