Co-operative Futures has been working with Warm Earth as part of the USE-IT! project in West Birmingham. We’ve supported them in taking their growing and composting activities out of the resident’s association where it all began, into a brand new Charitable Community Benefit Society. Co-op Futures has supported Warm Earth in developing their business plan and income streams. The society is now operating from two sites, supplying fresh flowers and plants to the local community as well as a regular stall within City Hospital. They are also developing an innovative system of using heat from compost bins to regulate soil temperatures, thus allowing them to negate frost damage to new plants and lengthen their growing season. They hope to sell this to schools, doctors surgeries and local businesses.
Warm Earth are embedded into their local community and offer volunteering opportunities to residents who can come and develop their green fingered skills. They also work closely with other local community groups and are involved with developing a community space next to Edgbaston Reservoir.