Missenden Walled Garden CIO

What Missenden Walled Garden CIO does

Missenden Walled Garden CIO is a UK-registered Charitable Incorporated Organisation (charity number 1171968), founded in 2017, that delivers Social Therapeutic Horticulture (STH) and a suite of enrichment activities — including art, music, film production, beekeeping, bushcraft, and sports coaching — to adults aged 18 to 70+ with learning disabilities and autism. The charity operates from a ten-acre historic walled garden within the grounds of Missenden Abbey in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, where members participate in gardening, food growing, catering, and grounds maintenance activities alongside trained support staff. Service quality has been formally recognised with a Quality Assured 5 Star Excellent rating from Buckinghamshire Council for Adult Social Care.

The organisation runs a single, unified service rather than a modular product platform, with 15+ paid staff, additional volunteers, and a board of trustees chaired by Fred Harrison. Members are acquired primarily through referrals from Buckinghamshire Council, Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, SEN Schools, other charities, and self-referrals, with an online Initial Interest Form acting as the front door for new enquiries.

The revenue model is a hybrid of council-commissioned adult social care funding (the dominant and most recurrent stream), grant funding (including an HS2 Grant and support from Heart of Bucks Community Foundation), and charitable donations collected via JustGiving and community fundraising. No pricing is publicly disclosed; services are accessed through referral pathways rather than direct purchase. The charity's operating footprint is regional, confined to England, with no international or national expansion signals beyond its Buckinghamshire base.

Name

Missenden Walled Garden CIO

Legal name

Missenden Walled Garden CIO

Website

https://missendenwalledgarden.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Missenden Walled Garden CIO is a UK charity delivering Social Therapeutic Horticulture and enrichment activities to adults with learning disabilities and autism at a 10-acre walled garden in Buckinghamshire, funded primarily by council contracts, grants, and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adult Social Care Day Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Landscaping Services (56173)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Needs Adult Day Programs (Developmental/Physical Disabilities, Seniors) (HLADAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Seasonal Color, Planting & Horticultural Services (BPABADAL)

Keywords

• Adult social care
• Social therapeutic horticulture
• Day services
• Learning disability support
• Horticulture therapy

Headquarters

HQ city

Great Missenden

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Charitable donations received through JustGiving platform and other fundraising activities to support the charitable work and keep services running for members.
2. Government and Council Funding: Funding from Buckinghamshire Council for adult social care services. The organization has grown from 30 day sessions per week in 2016 to 125+ day sessions per week currently.
3. Grant Funding: Received HS2 Grant funding. Also supported by Heart of Bucks Community Foundation and other grant-making organizations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Missenden Walled Garden CIO delivers day services for adults aged 18-70+ with learning disabilities and autism, centred on Social Therapeutic Horticulture (STH) within a 10-acre historic walled garden at Missenden Abbey. The charity combines gardening and produce-growing activities with structured enrichment sessions (art, music, sports coaching, beekeeping, bushcraft and joinery) to improve physical and mental health, build skills and create community connections. Services are accessed through referrals from Buckinghamshire Council, SEN Schools, NHS partners and other charities, with self-referrals also accepted.

Product overview

Missenden Walled Garden CIO operates as a single, unified charitable service focused on Social Therapeutic Horticulture (STH) for adults with learning disabilities and autism. The organization does not offer a software product or platform with modular components. Its core offering is a day care service delivered through horticultural activities, enrichment programs (art, music, sports coaching, bee keeping, bushcraft, joinery), and community engagement, all centered at a walled garden within Missenden Abbey's grounds.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Social Therapeutic Horticulture Day Programme Core day service for adults aged 18-70+ with learning disabilities and autism, delivered at the 10-acre Missenden Abbey walled garden. Uses gardening, plants and nature-based activity to improve physical and mental health, build skills and create social connection. Delivered 125+ day sessions per week as of the latest reporting period.
• Enrichment Activities Programme Structured enrichment programme offered to members alongside the core horticulture programme, covering art, music, film production, beekeeping, bushcraft and sports coaching. Designed to broaden skill development and personal achievement for adults with learning disabilities and autism attending Missenden Walled Garden.

Quantifiable outcome

• Grown from 30 day sessions per week (2016) to 125+ day sessions per week (Today)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Buckinghamshire New UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Professor Damien Page, Vice-Chancellor. University collaboration for educational programs and potentially student placements in social work and related fields.
• Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Neil Macdonald, Chief Executive. NHS trust collaboration for healthcare integration and member health support services.
• Buckinghamshire CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Craig McArdle, Corporate Director – Adults and Health. Primary referral source and funding partner for adult social care services.
• Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer LLPminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Robert Moore, Partner. Legal firm providing pro bono or discounted legal services and corporate social responsibility support.
• MitieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Paul Morris, Director of Operations South Coast and France Care & Custody. Facilities management company providing corporate volunteering and support.
• The Countess Howe (Lord-Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPatron of Missenden Walled Garden and His Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire. Provides royal patronage and county-level advocacy for the charity.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• MacIntyre: UK charity providing lifelong learning, day opportunities, and supported living for people with learning disabilities and autism. Comparable in target population and adult day-service delivery, with a comparable regional branch network model.
• Hft (Home Farm Trust): National charity supporting adults with learning disabilities through supported living, day services, and personalisation programmes. Comparable as a learning-disability day-service provider funded via local authority referrals, similar to MWG's council-funded model.
• United Response: Major UK charity delivering personalised support, day services, and community engagement for people with learning disabilities and autism. Overlaps with MWG's adult day-care model and referral-driven delivery, though it operates a wider portfolio of services nationally.
• Lifeways: UK provider of supported living and community-based day services for adults with learning disabilities, autism, and acquired brain injuries. Comparable as a commissioned adult day-service operator with similar referral and funding mechanics.
• Sense: Large national charity supporting people with complex disabilities including learning disabilities and autism, providing day services, housing, and advocacy. Comparable in serving the same primary beneficiary cohort as MWG but at significantly greater scale and without the horticulture-specific modality.
• Mencap: National learning-disability charity providing day opportunities, supported employment, and advocacy. Comparable in serving the same primary beneficiary cohort and operating through local-authority and NHS referral channels, but with a much wider advocacy and policy footprint.
• Voyage Care: Large UK provider of specialist supported living and day services for adults with learning disabilities, autism, and complex needs. Comparable as a commissioned adult social-care operator reliant on local-authority referrals and personal-budget funding.
• Community Integrated Care: One of the UK's largest social care charities, delivering bespoke support and day services for adults with learning disabilities, autism, and complex needs. Comparable as a commissioned adult social-care provider, though it operates at substantially greater scale and breadth than MWG.

Direct peers

• Thrive: UK charity that uses gardening and horticulture to improve the lives of disabled and disadvantaged people, operating therapeutic garden programmes nationwide. Closest direct peer to Missenden Walled Garden in both mission (social therapeutic horticulture) and beneficiary profile (disabled adults).

Regional players

• Trellis (Scotland): Scottish network supporting therapeutic and social horticulture programmes across care settings including learning disabilities. Comparable modality (therapeutic gardening) but geographically restricted to Scotland, serving as a useful regional comparator rather than a direct UK competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MissendenwalledGarden
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/missenden-walled-garden-cio
• Instagraminstagram.com/explore/locations/1623940697896709/missenden-walled-garden-charity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Missenden Walled Garden CIO