An eco group from Peterborough were left feeling “shattered” after their upcycled planters were ruined on April 1.
Flower beds, made from upcycled bathtubs, have since been replanted in a Peterborough park thanks to hardworking efforts from Up The Garden Bath.
The Friends of Central Park and The Civic Society invited the group, who recycle unwanted bathtubs, to create seven planters at Park Crescent back in March.
One week later, the project was vandalised with soil and flowers found emptied and tipped upside down.
Dave Poulton, Up The Garden Bath founder, said: “When we found out our hard work had been destroyed it was very easy to feel defeated.
“We felt heartbroken; like our dreams had been shattered but we decided we wouldn’t let them win.
“Now, after so much support, the beautiful flowers have been replanted and we’ve brought unity to the community again.”
The project was made possible with help from Thomas Deacon Academy, Peterborough Regional College, Hampton Handy Crafts, Project Abundance and The Mayor of Peterborough, councillor Nick Sandford, who initially helped to plant.
It comes as group founders, Dave Poulton and Kez Hayes-Palmer, are on a mission to make their home city a brighter place to live, and promote social cohesion, through their clever business model.
Dave Poulton said: “This was a really special project for Up The Garden Bath, as it was the first we’ve funded through our collaborative retail store, UNITY, located at Peterborough’s Queensgate Shopping Centre.
“We have helped more than 100 small businesses - including artists, crafters, makers and start-ups - to display their creations in our store since 2021.
“A percentage of proceeds from the sales are now being reinvested back into community projects to make Peterborough a brighter place to live and work.
“We are really proud of the business model Kez and I have crafted and we have many more plans up our sleeves to make Peterborough pop.”
Up The Garden Bath's journey into the world of retail started during lockdown in 2020, just weeks after launching their community interest company.
The duo found their key markets of schools, community centres and residential care homes inaccessible due to the pandemic restrictions.
Thinking on their feet, the pair had the idea to create eco-friendly fabric plant pots, made from recycled material, to stay afloat.
After selling 2,000 items, generating nearly £20,000 in sales and seeing their idea go viral, the idea was put forward for a prestigious Small Business Sunday award - backed by Dragons Den former panellist Theo Paphitis - which the team won.
The buzz around the zero-waste idea, which sees the product fold inside out from envelope to plant pot, saw Up The Garden Bath approached by Queensgate Shopping Centre management and the pair were invited to fill an empty pop-up store.
Fast forward three years - and a permanent unit later - the UNITY project has helped to generate sales of almost £200,000 for 100 local businesses who are located in a 25 mile radius of Peterborough.
Kez added: “We had a vision when we formed the business in 2020.
“Despite all the hurdles we have faced, we have always adapted and found solutions.
“We are extremely proud of how far we have come in such a short period of time.
“The success Up The Garden Bath and UNITY has seen in the past year has been incredible.
“We are so privileged we get the chance to put small businesses on the map and can now use funds from our shop to put back into Peterborough.”
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