Jigsaw Environmental

Jigsaw Environmental (Gisburn) is an exciting new community enterprise which will support the long-term economic development of Gisburn which has suffered economically through the impact of foot and mouth disease and the loss of traditional services to larger towns in the region. Our site is situated on the A59 in the village of Gisburn, Lancashire, behind the Strawberry Fields Restaurant.

The focus of the project’s activity will centre on organic horticulture and the production of certified organic food crops, such as vegetables, fruit and salad crops. This activity will form the basis of the community enterprise and the platform from which development of disabled and disadvantaged people can be carried out through the provision of training and employability skills.

We have started to deliver accredited training, namely NVQ Level 1 and NPTC Levels 2 and 3, all in horticulture, through a franchise with Myerscough College, and we are within the 2 year organic conversion period, and have established crops in polytunnels, as well as starting the organic conversion process. We currently have around 16 students and volunteers throughout the week who are benefiting from our staff’s experience in delivering horticultural training and in environmental issues in general.

We are going to erect an environmentally friendly building to replace our temporary portacabins and portaloos, and to act as a teaching/storage space. We want the building to be a showcase of best practice of eco-friendly building techniques, and to contain ideas that visitors can take away and implement themselves at their homes and businesses. The design and siting of the building will be part of a larger landscaping programme that will provide ideas for encouraging wildlife to people’s gardens. The building will act as the hub for the Jigsaw Environmental social enterprises. These enterprises will consist of:

- The horticultural training
- The production of fruit, vegetables and salad crops that will be certified organic from February 2006
- The delivery of environmental education programmes to children and adults, including those with learning difficulties and physical disabilities
- The provision of advice and training to individuals and businesses with the aim of helping them to reduce their environmental footprints.
For further information, please contact us, as below:

Contact: Ellen Pope, 01200 415979, email: gisburnproject@hotmail.com