Camden Garden Centre is a big part of community life in Camden.
We were founded in 1983 by a group of local business men and women who were concerned about youth unemployment in the area and wanted to do something to help.
They decided to start some sort of professionally run business which would enable them to employ long-term unemployed youngsters as Trainees.
For most Trainees this would be their first ever job. They would receive on the job training, go to college and get various qualifications – often their first educational achievements.
After a couple of years they would be much more employable with employment history, solid job experience, and qualifications under their belt.
New Trainees would continually come into the business as older Trainees moved on.
The idea was that the business had to stand on its own two feet financially as a successful business, strive for excellence and not be dependent upon charitable donations.
The founders were very forward thinking- no one else had ever heard of such an idea. Nowadays this would be called a Social Enterprise – we were one of the first in the UK.
The shares of the company are owned by a Charitable Trust – initially titled The Southern Task Educational Trust but renamed The Camden Garden Centre Charitable Trust.
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