When we spoke to Dawn from Happy Boots, Wales was in the middle of a heatwave. For a social enterprise rooted in nature, there was plenty to keep on top of: watering plants, protecting growing spaces and making sure everything had what it needed to keep going.
It felt like an apt moment to talk about what it takes to nurture something and help it grow – whether that’s an organisation or a flower bed – particularly when conditions aren’t always easy.
Happy Boots is a Community Interest Company, based in Pontypridd, that uses therapeutic horticulture and nature-based activities to support mental health and wellbeing. Through gardening and time outdoors, the organisation helps people build confidence, improve their wellbeing and connect with others. Dawn runs groups through Calon Taf, works with community organisations and has also supported families with little ones to engage with the nourishing world of growing and gardening.
Planting new ideas and seeing understanding what it takes to grow
After getting in touch with Egin, Dawn was linked up with Honey, the Regional Support Officer for her local area, who became her point of contact throughout her Egin journey – answering questions, signposting opportunities and helping to identify where other support could be useful.
Honey also introduced Dawn to Egin mentor Josh Pike. Over two days, the mentoring gave Dawn dedicated space to step back from the day-to-day and think about where Happy Boots could go next.
“His knowledge and passion were a breath of fresh air,” says Dawn. “It was nice to speak to someone who understood the process and understood what I was trying to achieve.”
Together, they explored ideas for new workshops that could bring more people into Happy Boots while creating accessible opportunities to engage with nature, climate action and the environment. They also looked at how these could attract paying customers and contribute to a more sustainable model for the organisation.
For Dawn, having someone who understood the journey and could act as a sounding board was a valuable part of the process. It created space to test out ideas; challenge thinking and consider possibilities that might otherwise have stayed on the page. Josh also opened the door to new connections with projects and organisations in the area, giving Dawn opportunities to exchange ideas, build relationships and explore where Happy Boots could go next.
Turning those ideas into action, however, has taken a little longer. Some of the plans, including paid-for workshops, needed more time and resources behind them, and without the capacity to keep things moving, some of the initial momentum was lost.
But that is part of the journey of developing a small CIC. Not every idea will take hold straight away, and sometimes plans need to wait until the right conditions are there to give them the space to grow. For Dawn, the value of the mentoring wasn’t simply in what could be put into practice immediately, but in the inspiration, connections and fresh perspective it provided – and in having someone to return to when new ideas begin to take shape.
“He inspired me and helped me realise the value of what I’m doing.”
The ideas are still there. Some just need a little more time, capacity and the right conditions to grow.
Looking towards the next season
There are still plenty of possibilities taking shape.
Potential Egin grant funding could help Happy Boots by creating capacity to develop some of these ideas and turn them into new opportunities for people to get involved. Further connections and DTA Wales programmes offer other avenues for development and support.
For now, Happy Boots may take a steadier approach over the winter, creating some space to prepare for what comes next. The hope is that, when spring arrives, the organisation will be ready to build on the ideas and connections that have developed and give some of its plans the space to flourish.
Dawn’s Egin journey reminded us that developing a social enterprise isn’t always a straight line. Ideas need testing, plans sometimes change and capacity can determine how quickly something can move forward.
For Happy Boots, Egin has provided more than a set of activities or a single intervention. It has helped create connections, imagine up possibilities and provide space for ideas to develop – with mentoring offering a valuable sounding board along the way.
Not everything needs to happen at once. Some ideas are still waiting for the right conditions to take root, but Happy Boots has plenty to build on and we look forward to seeing what springs into life next season.
Keep up to date with what Happy Boots is up to via their social media:
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