Coming of Age: The Green Estate CIC Annual Report 2024

Welcome to The Green Estate CIC Annual Report 2024

In 2024, The Green Estate turned 21 and we came of age in so many ways.

In the past year, we have been reviewing who we are, what we want to achieve in the next five years, and what internal structures will best enable us to get there. The Green Estate CIC Annual Report 2024 gives a summary of what we got up to and where we are heading next.

A New Leadership Team, Strategy and Business Plan

By the end of 2024, we had a brand-new Leadership Team in post. We removed all individual Directorates so we can maximise the value of being one team with one mission, and enable cross-team working to the benefit of our local communities and customers.

We have developed a Strategy and Business Plan that is focused on growth of impact, income and influence with a strong emphasis on collaboration and partnership working.

Community Impact in Our Place

We carried out an in-depth exercise with our whole team and we are pleased to say we are united in our desire to have a greater profile and impact in our local communities. This will be achieved through growing our profits for purpose and continuing to invest in and develop our local activities such as caring for our local green spaces including Manor Fields Park, our Growing Communities Programme, and our Sheffield Manor Lodge Heritage and Nature Visitor Centre.

Big Wins in Nature-Based Solutions from S2 to Scotland

Last year we had some big wins, including getting involved in the delivery of the large-scale Sustainable Urban Drainage System development in Mansfield, plus designing and delivering another beautiful nature-based sustainable drainage system in Manor Fields Park in partnership with Sheffield Housing Company. We also completed the incredible Mega Flora Project in North Lanarkshire, and expanded our contribution to the management and maintenance of Park Hill. We also hit a ten-year marker in achieving Green Flag status for Manor Fields Park.

We became one of three place-based organisations in a new major £5m UKRI programme called the Yorkshire Policy Innovation Partnership, aimed at giving more power to low-income, marginalised and isolated communities across the region.

VIP Guests

It was wonderful to host some brilliant initiatives and guests last year, starting early with a visit from the inspiring Professor Anusha Sha (159th President of the Institute of Civil Engineers and Senior Director of Resilient Cities, Arcadis), Oliver Harmer (Chief Strategy Officer at Natural England), plus our good friends from Sheffield City Council, National Trust, Yorkshire & Humber Climate Commission, City of Doncaster Council, Rotherham MBC, and Barnsley MBC. We also enjoyed hosting the Lord Mayor of Bochum and introducing him to our one-time resident Mary, Queen of Scots.

We were delighted when South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard chose The Green Estate to launch the ‘A Tree for Everyone’ campaign. We have collaborated across South Yorkshire this year, including as members of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Business Advisory Board, the Local Nature Recovery Strategy Group, and the South Yorkshire Sustainability Centre.

Heritage and Nature Visitor Centre

Our Heritage and Nature Visitor Centre has grown this year with more volunteers helping in many different ways and the highest number (3,326!) of primary school children ever visiting us over the year. I especially love the comment that we are ‘better than Cadbury World’! Thanks to support from the Friends of Sheffield Manor Lodge group, we launched a new interpretation of the Turret House featuring a Rogues Gallery (look out for a familiar face from our Leadership Team) and a community exhibition space. Our Apothecary Garden also had a revamp funded by a grant from the Tesco Stronger Starts scheme.

Growing Communities

Round the corner on our site, the Growing Communities Programme has delivered some really special activities this year, including the development of a Food Forest demonstrator project using permaculture principles and funded by the National Garden Scheme. Imagine if we had these all the way across Sheffield!

Inclusive Hospitality

Our Hospitality Team worked their socks off in 2024 and began to expand our offer. We hosted many different celebrations for people from a diverse range of backgrounds. It was a delight to see Manor Oaks House dressed so beautifully (check out our Instagram account) with so many amazing design ideas every couple and group brought to the venue.

Resilient Landscaping Products

Our sales of urban resilience products grew last year both in the UK and Europe. We sold over 1.4bn individual seeds which equates to 900,000 grams of Pictorial Meadows mixes, there was 56,000 square metres of turf sown, and we produced 6,410 tonnes of substrate soils for sustainable drainage systems.

National Business of the Year Awards

At the end of the year, we had a brilliant and unexpected surprise! Tracy Viner and the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce nominated us for the National British Chambers Green Innovation Business of the Year Award. We were very pleased to be awarded Regional Green Innovation Business of the Year, delighted to be awarded National Green Innovation Business of the Year, and astonished to be awarded the prestigious British Chambers Winner of Winners National Business of the Year. It is a privilege for us to be flying the flag for Sheffield and South Yorkshire businesses, for social enterprises, and for green businesses.

Thank You!

A special and personal thank you to Harry Bowell and Emma Clarke, our amazing and very wise Co-Chairs, who have helped us to raise our game in so many ways. A huge thank you to our dedicated and talented team of paid staff and volunteers, our brilliant Board, and all our partners and supporters.

Looking Ahead to 2025!

We head into 2025 with a strong foundation and team, and a clear direction of travel. When we consider the wider context, we know we will face expected and unforeseen challenges, and that our work to grow green and resilient urban places for people and nature to thrive has become more important than ever.

We look forward to doing our bit to make the world a better place with you in 2025!

We hope you enjoyed reading The Green Estate CIC Annual Report 2024. If you would like to know more about us, check out our website and follow us on LinkedIn.