What Growing Links CIC does

Growing Links CIC is a Cornwall-based Community Interest Company operating an integrated portfolio of food security, wellbeing, and community programmes from two physical sites in Penzance and Gulval. Founded in 2013, the organisation's stated mission is to establish a local, resilient, accessible and sustainable food system, combining applied permaculture design, chemical-free horticulture, and direct service provision to vulnerable populations. Its service portfolio spans food production (Community Garden and Tree Field), free food provision (Street Food Project / Social Canteen), produce distribution (Veg Bags), health outreach (Community Health & Wellbeing Workers), education workshops, and ancillary Space Hire. The primary beneficiary segments are rough sleepers, homeless, and vulnerable adults served by the Street Food Project, alongside local residents served by Veg Bags, individuals on recovery journeys using the therapeutic garden, and volunteers contributing across programmes.

The core operational assets are a 1.5-acre Community Garden used for growing flowers, fruits, and vegetables on chemical-free principles, and a 2.8-acre Tree Field that has been re-wilded for 26 years and hosts wetland, meadow, and wilderness spaces for wellbeing activities. The Street Food Project operates as a free hot-meal canteen at the John Daniel Centre, serving vulnerable adults Monday to Friday from midday to 6pm. The Veg Bags programme distributes weekly subscription boxes through the Ooooby e-commerce platform, with local supply-chain partnerships (Trink Dairy for non-homogenised milk, Rosewall Bakery for sourdough, Penbugle Organic Farm for pasture-raised eggs) layered in as add-ons. The Community Health & Wellbeing Workers (CHWWs) programme deploys local health champions in Heamoor, Roscadghill, and Eastern Green, offering person-centred support rather than standardised services. Education workshops cover creative writing, chair yoga, walking groups, and mental health peer support, and on-site spaces (yurt, yoga container, therapy space, garden for up to 50 people) are hired out for events.

Growing Links operates as a non-profit social enterprise funded primarily by donations and grants from organisations including The National Lottery and the Community Foundation, supplemented by Space Hire income and corporate in-kind contributions to the Street Food Project. The Social Canteen provides meals at no cost to beneficiaries; Veg Bag pricing is administered through Ooooby. The organisation is volunteer-dependent, with a core paid team led by CEO Lynne Dyer, and relies on organic community-led marketing through social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), email newsletters, and word-of-mouth. No revenue figures, AI capabilities, patents, awards, or external equity ownership were disclosed in the source materials.

Name

Growing Links CIC

Legal name

Growing Links CIC

Website

https://growinglinks.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Growing Links CIC is a Cornwall-based Community Interest Company operating an integrated food security and wellbeing portfolio — a community garden, re-wilded tree field, free hot-meal service, produce subscription via Ooooby, and community health outreach — funded by grants, donations, and space hire.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Penzance

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Funding: Funded by donations from individuals and organisations, with support from funders including The National Lottery, Community Foundation, and other charitable bodies

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Growing Links CIC operates a portfolio of community programs in Cornwall, UK, delivered through a 1.5-acre Community Garden and 2.8-acre Tree Field. Its sellable offerings include a Street Food Project/Social Canteen serving hot meals to vulnerable adults, a weekly Veg Bag produce subscription, Community Health & Wellbeing Workers outreach, education workshops (creative writing, chair yoga, walking groups, peer support), and paid Space Hire of on-site yurt, yoga container, therapy space, and garden.

Product overview

Growing Links CIC is a community interest company operating multiple interconnected food security and wellbeing programs in Cornwall. The organization runs a unified service portfolio centered on establishing a local, resilient, and sustainable food system. Core offerings include the Community Garden (1.5-acre therapeutic growing space), Tree Field (2.8-acre rewilded land), Street Food Project/Social Canteen (hot meal service for vulnerable community members), Veg Bags (seasonal produce subscription), Community Health & Wellbeing Workers support, educational workshops, and space hire facilities. The programs are designed to work together to bring communities together to grow, celebrate, and eat while increasing wellbeing through access to locally grown food.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Street Food Project: Essential lifeline helping to feed vulnerable members of the community with hot nutritious meals served at the John Daniel Centre, Monday to Friday 12-6pm.
• Community Garden
• Tree Field
• Veg Bags
• Community Health & Wellbeing Workers (CHWW)

Products and services

• Community Garden A 1.5-acre therapeutic garden space used for growing flowers, fruits, and vegetables under natural, chemical-free principles. Open for horticulture-for-wellbeing sessions, physical activity, and nature enjoyment by community members on a journey of recovery.
• Tree Field A 2.8-acre rewilded area of wetland, meadow, and wilderness used for organised wellbeing activities and nature access, maintained as uncultivated land since before the CIC's founding.
• Street Food Project / Social Canteen A free hot-meal service operating Monday to Friday, 12pm to 6pm, at the John Daniel Centre in Heamoor. Provides nutritious meals, support, and advice to rough sleepers, homeless individuals, vulnerable adults, and people experiencing poverty, linking them to other agencies.
• Veg Bags A weekly subscription offering of fresh herbs, fruits, and vegetables grown at the Community Garden with support from local growers. Customers order via the Ooooby platform for collection or local delivery every Wednesday, with optional add-ons including Trink Dairy non-homogenised milk, Rosewall Bakery sourdough, and Penbugle Organic Farm eggs.
• Community Health & Wellbeing Workers (CHWW) Person-centred health and wellbeing outreach delivered by local champions in Heamoor, Roscadghill, and Eastern Green, focused on individual needs rather than a one-size-fits-all solution.
• Education Workshops and Courses A programme of workshops and courses covering wellbeing, personal growth, and career progression, including creative writing, chair yoga, walking groups, and mental health peer support.
• Space Hire Rental of on-site facilities including a cosy yurt, serene yoga container, and peaceful therapy space for private practice, classes, or retreats. The garden can host up to 50 people for conferences, meetings, and get-togethers.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OooobycoreTechnology or IntegrationOoooby is used as the ordering platform to manage Growing Links' Veg Bag programme. Growing Links shares information relevant to running the veg bag programme with Ooooby. Customers place orders through the Ooooby platform for weekly veg bag deliveries.
• Trink DairyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal dairy supplier providing non-homogenised milk as an add-on option for veg bag customers.
• Rosewall BakeryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal artisan bakery providing sourdough bread as an add-on option for veg bag customers. Baked by Sarah at Rosewall Bakery.
• Penbugle Organic FarmminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal organic farm providing eggs from pasture-raised chickens as an add-on option for veg bag customers.
• Local Businesses (Street Food Project Supporters)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVarious local businesses contribute to the Street Food Project by providing food and resources to help feed vulnerable members of the community.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• The Conservation Volunteers: UK charity connecting people with green-space activities for health and wellbeing. Comparable in combining volunteering, nature-based wellbeing and environmental land management.
• Social Farms and Gardens: UK-wide charity supporting care farms, community gardens and city farms. Comparable as a peer network of community-growing organisations with therapeutic/social objectives.
• Feedback Global: UK charity tackling food waste and food system change. Comparable in addressing local food systems and food justice from a community/grassroots perspective.
• The Food Foundation: UK think-tank/charity working on food poverty and sustainable food systems. Comparable in addressing food insecurity, healthy food access and local food system resilience.

Direct peers

• Growing Communities: Hackney-based social enterprise running organic urban agriculture and community-supported box schemes. Closely comparable organic veg bag/subscription model combined with community wellbeing programmes.
• FareShare: UK's largest charity fighting food poverty by redistributing surplus food to community organisations. Directly comparable as a UK-based food poverty charity operating community-facing food programmes at scale.
• The Bread and Butter Thing: UK charity providing low-cost food via community pantries. Comparable in providing community-based food access alongside social support in underserved UK regions.
• The Trussell Trust: National network of food banks supporting people in food crisis across the UK. Closely comparable to Growing Links' Street Food Project in mission and beneficiary base.

Others

• Sustain: UK alliance of organisations working on better food and farming policy. Tangentially comparable in advocating for sustainable local food systems Growing Links operates within.

Regional players

• Cornwall Food Foundation: Cornwall-based food charity tackling food poverty and food waste in the same county. Comparable as a geographically overlapping regional peer addressing similar vulnerable populations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/GrowingLinksGarden
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/growinglinkscic
• Instagraminstagram.com/growinglinks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Growing Links CIC