• Thu. Dec 12th, 2024

North East Connected

Hopping Across The North East From Hub To Hub

Growing plants is a growing business: how Regreen is greenifying the North East one project at a time

ByDave Stopher

Dec 7, 2023

With more than a decade of professional gardening experience under their belts, Kris Hall and Jakub Konieczynski launched Regreen in 2023: a community interest company with a goal of bringing greenery back to the North East.

Regreen is a socially-driven garden maintenance company, serving communities and businesses across the region. With an array of gardening and wildlife products available, the team is reviving North East urban areas and putting a chunk of their profits back into their projects.

Having only launched Regreen this summer, Kris and the team are keen to get growing. Kris says,

“We’re still in our early days, but the response has been great. Our main services are garden maintenance – including cutting grass, cutting hedges, small tree work – and also supplying planters and other wildlife products. But as a community interest company, we’re also focused on regreening areas that have been paved over.

“We’re interested in giving back to the community, using a portion of our profits to fund and improve local areas. Having the flexibility to do that was a big plus point of starting our own business.”

As part of their efforts to give the business a strong start, the Regreen team enrolled themselves on the Digital Track marketing programmes funded by the North of Tyne Combined Authority and delivered by TEDCO Business Support.

Offered exclusively to businesses based in North Tyneside, Newcastle, and Northumberland, the short course consists of a combination of in-person and online marketing workshops. Kris says,

“The marketing module has saved us money, giving us the skills to manage our social media ourselves rather than paying for external support. Meanwhile, the leadership module allowed me to reflect on managing different personalities. Managing relationships can be tough, so reflecting on the right skills is sure to be a huge long-term benefit.

“For us, it hasn’t just been about the learning. One of the most beneficial factors has been meeting other people. In that way, it also acts as a networking event. You attend alongside other people and other businesses, and it’s a great opportunity to form connections.”

TEDCO Business Advisor, Jeff Thompson, who is part of the Digital Track delivery team, says,

“Digital Track helps business owners like Kris and Jakub boost their skills and confidence, and gain access to digital tools that can help them meet their goals and enjoy long-term success. Being able to network with other entrepreneurs has allowed Kris and Jakub to broaden their horizons even further.

“It’s great to see how the short course has benefitted them and to hear that they’ll be utilising what they have learnt as the business continues to thrive.”

To find out more about Digital Track, click here.