Community support offers hope to save Braywick Heath Nurseries from closure

Braywick Heath Plant Nurseries is remaining open until at least the end of January thanks to support from organisations and the community.

In October, the Advertiser reported that the long-standing not-for-profit social enterprise, which provides training, employment and work experience for people with disabilities, was set close at the end of 2025, unless a partner was found.

At the time, chairman Robin Pemberton said it was with ‘deep regret’ that directors had decided to wind up the organisations, citing various reasons, including having to ‘manage rising costs with shrinking revenue’.

Mr Pemberton said at the time that the door ‘is not yet closed’ and shared hopes of finding a partner to allow the nursery to continue its work serving the community.

In a recent update, Mr Pemberton revealed that following last year’s media coverage, the nursery has been ‘overwhelmed by the support and kindness of so many people’.

The organisation has received more than 30 responses from ‘kind and concerned people and organisations’ which the board has been busy following up on.

Mr Pemberton said: “From these we have found some significant new friends, who share our ethos – to make work, volunteering and training opportunities for people needing our help.

“The results have given us some hope of saving our important social enterprise and so our Board has extended the Nurseries staff until the end of January, whilst we work with those potential partners, on a plan to find a way to continue trading, for the benefit of our community.”

If successful, he added that the nursery will carry on trading into its 30th year and avoid redundancies and closure.

Braywick Heath Nurseries has been running since March 1997, having taken over the then District Council’s redundant nursery site on Braywick Park.

The nursery was officially opened by King Charles III, the then Prince of Wales.

Maidenhead’s former MP Theresa May, who was newly-elected, was also present and ‘has been with us on our journey’, Mr Pemberton previously explained.

He added that ‘countless numbers’ of people have learned employment skills and worked at Braywick Heath, which has ‘earned a reputation for quality plants and knowledgeable staff’.

The organisation’s hanging baskets have ‘long been popular with so many regular customers’.

The team also provides a ‘good maintenance service’ to help those who are no longer able to manage their gardens and grounds.

This has extended to work for housing associations, parish councils and the local authority, and many employees have gone on to establish their own businesses.

Braywick Heath will be open from 10am to 4pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays this January.