Parliamentary Secretary Georgia Gould MP visited Navigo's Grimsby Garden Centre during a tour of North East Lincolnshire.
On Tuesday 11 February, we welcomed Parliamentary Secretary Georgia Gould MP to North East Lincolnshire. She came to see some of the great work happening in our area, meet local leaders, and talk about how working together can lead to positive change.
The visit, organised by Our Future, brought leaders from all parts of the community together to talk about how working together can create positive change. We discussed the importance of feeling connected to our local area, making sure communities have a say in their own future, and how strong partnerships can make a real difference.
Georgia Gould MP joined a discussion about social enterprises - businesses that use their profits to help the community. We spoke about the challenges they face and how government plans could make it easier for them to secure funding and grow.
During her visit, Georgia Gould MP visited community hub, Centre4 and Nunny’s Farm, where she learned about how they benefit local people.
Later in the day, we showed her Grimsby Garden Centre, which we run as a social enterprise. Profits from the garden centre go back into supporting local mental health services and the development of the centre for the good of the community. During the tour, we spoke to Skye and Lewis who told us how spending time at the garden centre and the onsite therapeutic allotment had helped them improve their confidence, skills and ultimately their mental health.
Simon Beeton, our CEO at Navigo, said:
“We were delighted to welcome Georgia Gould MP and her team to discuss the impact of our work in North East Lincolnshire. Our model shows how commercial initiatives can expand support options whilst reinvesting profits into mental health services, creating sustainable, long-term benefits for those who need them most.”
Georgia Gould MP shared her thoughts on the visit:
"We want every business in this country to thrive, and have the opportunity to give back to their community.
"It was great to be in Grimsby, seeing the excellent work being done in building partnerships across the local council, business and others in the community to drive forward an ambitious vision for the future."
This visit highlighted how important it is for government, social enterprises, and communities to work together. Our Future and local leaders are working on new ways to improve public services and support businesses, helping our region grow and succeed.
