THE PHILOSOPHY OF SOLSTICE

To encourage participant involvement at all levels of decision making and representation of people who choose not to involve themselves personally.

  • Any participant or member of Solstice staff can challenge any aspect of the direction of the service or business

  • Collective responsibility for the overall service and business direction applies

To ensure confidentiality of all involved, participants and staff

  • Records of information will be available to the relevant individual and relevant staff alone, unless permission is granted otherwise

To avoid exploitation of the participants as a group or individually

  • Solstice will protect participants from this

To ensure application of the training package

  • Continuous learning and personal development is essential

To specifically target the client group within its remit and provide services equitably

To work alongside other Social Enterprises and the Employment Support Team at Momentum

To be members of pertinent local and national groups e.g. Monitoring & Evaluating Team

 

BUSINESS AIMS OF SOLSTICE

To create a successful business which is good for everyone's mental health. Successful does not mean financially driven but that:

  • Customers are satisfied that their needs are met - this applies to participants, staff and external customers

  • A good reputation is projected

  • The business is not standing still - it is moving with or ahead of the times/trends, expanding or diversifying as agreed.

  • Value for money on all fronts is achieved

  • Training/experience and coaching leads people back to the open job market

To branch off an element of the business to be solely user run, if wished in the future

  • There will continue to be a service/business whatever else happens - the service and training elements of the organisation are higher on the agenda than the business aims although they should both take care of each other

  • To expand the business into wider markets

  

THE ABRIDGED TIMELINE

1997

Grampian Primary care ran Unicorn Enterprises which was a training and assessment centre for people with severe and enduring mental health problems. The decision was taken to re-commission the service from the National Health Service to Social Work. This meant the closure of Unicorn Enterprises and its business activities, one of which was a gardening service. Whilst the other activities were relocated into funded projects, the Unicorn gardening team formed the Solstice steering Group and prepared itself to become a Social Firm.

1998

While waiting for things to move forward the gardeners decided to go to college to study gardening and related SVQ's.

2000

Solstice established as an aspiring Social Firm with the high degree of participant involvement recognised. The aim was to develop a wholesale nursery growing hardy Scottish heathers to ensure viability and all year round activity.

2001

 The business plan was drawn up.

2002

A search began for an approved provider with which to establish a partnership. The search for a new site continued as the original organisation withdrew its offer. Gardening work started for commercial firms and private work was sought. 

2003

Following a search of the local area, an excellent site was found at Banchory and Leggart Estates.

6 participants completed the VQ Amenity Horticulture Level 2.

When the search for an approved provider to run Solstice was unsuccessful, we were notified that there would be no funding.

Unicorn closed its doors to all service users on 24th December.

2004

Enthusiasm to become a social firm remained with the participants despite the fact that there was no funding available.

At this time Grampian Housing Association were looking for an in-house maintenance team, and when they heard of the plight of the Solstice participants, they offered premises and funding advice.

Planning permission was obtained for the nursery site.

Social Firms Scotland showcased Solstice Nurseries at their Annual Conference.

2005

Successful grant applications to Communities Scotland and Social Firms Scotland resulted in funding to develop the wholesale nursery.

In March, development of the bare field site began.

By October, Solstice Nurseries was officially opened by HRH The Princess Royal, Patron of the College of Occupational Therapists.

2006

Solstice in partnership with Aberdeen College began a VQ in Amenity Horticulture Level 2 on site with new participants.

Certificate courses such as Health and Safety, Manual Handling and First Aid began to be offered to all new participants.

Solstice tendered for and procured the contract from Grampian Housing Association to maintain sites around Aberdeen for 3 years, with the possibility of extending it to 5 years if we were in partnership.

2007

Propagation of our hardy Scottish Heathers began.

We further developed the site and created a standing out area for the more maturing heathers.

Friends of Royal Cornhill kindly donated money to purchase a polytunnel for the use of by participants. The ‘the small holding' as it became known provides a place for the participants to further their horticultural knowledge on their own projects and grow fruit and vegetables for healthy living.

Some of our early plants were showcased at Aberdeen Blooms.

6 participants again completed their VQ Amenity Horticulture Level 2.

2008

An exciting year as Solstice launches the sale of its hardy Scottish heathers at Aberdeen Blooms. Blue Peter gardener Chris Collins visited the stand and endorsed the work that Solstice does, and gave a photograph and quotation for the website.