Canopy 2050 CIC
9 January 2025
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Sector: Tree growing and planting CIC
Location: Broxtowe
Helene Laanest registered Canopy 2050 CIC, a community-based initiative in the East Midlands, in 2023 with a mission to increase the urban tree canopy.
They collaborate with residents to collect, distribute and cultivate native tree seeds and plant the resulting saplings in tree-depleted areas and sites on council or private land.
Challenges faced
Canopy 2050 is a non-profit organisation which provides free tree saplings and a planting service that relies on volunteers and community support. They hold valuable training and educational services which highlight the need for conservation and the importance of tree growth. Their workshops include tree seed collecting, tree seed extraction and planting methods. From a standing start, they now have 550 volunteers on their books growing trees in their gardens and allotments.
Their start-up challenges included:
- Developing a business structure
- Securing funding to support their tree-growing initiatives and community events
- Raising awareness about the importance of urban trees and their environmental benefits
- Building a network of volunteers to assist with tree planting and maintenance
Solution and Impact
As a startup business, Canopy 2050 is being supported by NBV Enterprise Solutions, a partner in the Accelerator project. Accelerator is delivered by East Midlands Chamber and funded by Broxtowe Borough Council’s share of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF). Helene sought guidance from Business Adviser, Raj Raithatha.
Raj provided valuable support to:
- Develop a better understanding of the administration and processes involved as a CIC
- Develop a robust Marketing Strategy and plan to reach their audience
- Explore business planning techniques and the use of tools Like ChatGPT, and Canva
- Explore text-to-video apps to develop and plan online marketing content
- Secure 20 hours of specialist consultancy support using the Chamber’s Growth Voucher offer delivered by Rob Gregory from Magnifica Technologies Ltd. Rob helped Helene develop a modern website
Helene also attended some of the fully funded training sessions available including How to Safely Update your WordPress Website, Getting Started with Employment Contracts, Introduction to Marketing AI and Getting Started with Monthly Accounts.
Canopy 2050 is always seeking new volunteers and donations to help plant more trees. If you're interested in planting trees in your garden or workplace, or if you need advice on tree care, you can contact them for support. They also offer native hedging and tree planting services, as well as tree supplies, to residents in the East Midlands.
Contact Helene via email: info@canopy2050.org or visit the Canopy 2050 website
“Canopy 2050's success story demonstrates the power of business advice for non-profit organisations.
Raj's guidance empowered Canopy 2050 to overcome challenges, start the business, and achieve our environmental goals.
The Growth Voucher paid for the support I got from Rob Gregory whose help has allowed me to develop a website that has helped my business recruit new volunteers, communicate with volunteers and enable donors to contribute online.”
- Helene Laanest, Managing Director
This initiative is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) and delivered by East Midlands Chamber on behalf of Broxtowe Borough Council.
