As 2019 comes to a close and planning for 2020 is fully underway, I wanted to have a little look back at the first amazing year of support from industry. In particular, from the wonderful team at Empathy who chose to fully commit to Life at No.27 and help make a difference.
I can’t thank Mark, Simon, Helen, Robert and all the rest of the team at Empathy enough for choosing to support me this year. Without their commitment I don’t think I would of had the confidence to leave my old career behind and drive the organisation to where it is now.
Empathy were the first company to truly commit to the organisation, believe and take the time to understand me and the vision. They first and foremost wanted to help me change people’s lives, and that’s exactly what I have done in 2019.
I finish this year having worked with 20 students, ranging from 12 – 15 years old. Helping build their confidence, be open and learn new skills! Physical skills such as planting bulbs, pulling weeds and making natural lip balms. As well as, coping strategies for periods of high anxiety and self-doubt. The students have learnt to be more open and started to discover that their own worries are similar to many other girls and boys of their age and older. They aren’t alone and with my support, they can become stronger individuals with the skills to better manage their thoughts.
Here is just a couple of quotes from the girls that I have worked with so far:
“It’s been great! It’s really boosted my confidence”.
“I really enjoyed the programme and I recommend it to anyone else as it’s really fun and a good opportunity to make cool things and meet new people”
“It helped me de-stress and calm”
Without Empathy’s initial support and dedication this may not have been possible.
Their support has not only been financial, it has given me a great friendship! We have worked, dined and laughed together. We have shared ideas to help grow both businesses and simply had a lot of fun.
They helped me find the land for first adult therapy site, which will open in 2020! We teamed up at the Garden Press Event and RHS Hampton Court Garden Flower Festival, ran a collection of competition giveaways and have given out hundreds of health and well-being goody bags!
I have learnt so much about mycorrhizal fungi too; it’s amazing relationship with plants and the detailed science under a microscope. It’s nature’s ultimate love story and I can’t wait to share it on stage with audiences in 2020.
As a bonus for Empathy, their support has benefited them, as well as the lives of young girls in Oxfordshire and Berkshire.
Empathy by Plantworks Director, Mark Mackie said: “Sales of our market-leading RHS endorsed mycorrhizal products have grown rapidly throughout 2019 thanks to the heightened brand awareness that working with Annabelle Padwick’s Life at No.27 social enterprise has brought…..
Our partnership with the social enterprise is more than simply working with a gardening influencer; it successfully aligns our brand with an initiative that provides gardening as an alternative therapy and inspires people to garden, which is fantastic for the industry as a whole.”
The plan for 2020....
The partnership continues…..wahoo!!! This in itself means a great deal to me, but in 2020 we need to help more people and we will!
We also need to do much more joint activity, which you will see over the coming months.
What the team at Empathy don’t shout about enough is that their product range within the Plantworks business, helps fund their scientists to carry out large UK research projects. Enabling you, farmers and professional gardeners to understand the impact we are having on our soil and the natural mycorrhizal fungi.
They look after the soil and I try look after YOU!
If there is anything in particular that you would like to see us collaborate on in 2020, then let us know. Do you want to know more about the research? Do you want to meet the scientists? Do you want more freebies & offers?
