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Case Study:

Tree Shepherd: helping local businesses thrive in regeneration areas

At Locality’s March Power of Community event, we heard from Sandra Ferguson, CEO of Tree Shepherd. The Tree Shepherd vision is to create a world where everybody has the belief, tools and networks to actively participate in their local economy.

Published: 05 April 2023
10 minute read

Tree Shepherd provide a comprehensive support offer to new start businesses.

Their services include business mentoring, enterprise training, affordable workspaces and networking. A particular feature is that their start ups are supported to trade at a range of markets such as at the Lambeth Country Show.

Although not based in a permanent neighbourhood "community hub" over its 10 years of existence, Tree Shepherd has supported neighbourhoods through filling a gap where significant regeneration is under way – sometimes involving the demolition large swathes of well-known and sometimes iconic buildings.

Sandra Ferguson says that the physical demolition and construction are only the tip of the iceberg in terms of disruption. To get to the point where things start happening on the ground takes years which creates enormous uncertainty and makes business planning exceptionally hard.

This was the case with the development around the Elephant and Castle shopping centre. Tree Shepherd has been appointed to work directly with all the independent traders and are currently working with over 70 businesses, offering business advice, helping them secure new premises and plan for the future.

Over in Canada Water, British Land is part of a Masterplan for a 53-acre, mixed-use scheme that will deliver one million sq ft of retail, leisure, entertainment and community space along with around 3,000 new homes.

Tree Shepherd is partnering with British Land who have, Sandra says, a genuine interest in building links with the local community and have a long-term vision for the role of local businesses as part of the development.

Through this partnership they have developed "Thrive" – a meanwhile space that has been converted, with the help of local residents and partners, to a co-working space. To date, a total of 183 people have benefitted. Forty-one people took part in enterprise training. There are now 21 business owners who all have access to business mentoring, workshops and the Thrive monthly mini markets and a waiting list of 23.

183
people have benefitted from the Thrive co-working space