Grow Wellbeing founder Duane Chong shares vision for sustainable growth on Innervision Business Beyond Barriers podcast
- kristian9875
- 9 hours ago
- 3 min read
Grow Wellbeing CIC founder and Programme Director Duane Chong has shared his vision for the future of the organisation, reflecting on the power of nature-based learning, community transformation and the importance of sustainable growth during an appearance on the latest episode of Innervision: Business Beyond Barriers.
Hosted by Joanne Anderson, Director of Innervision and former Mayor of Liverpool, alongside creative consultant and music industry strategist Yaw Owusu, the podcast series celebrates Black and ethnically minoritised founders from across the Liverpool City Region. Produced as part of the Innervision Business Support Programme, the series explores the realities of building purpose-led organisations, overcoming barriers to growth and creating lasting social impact. The programme was commissioned by the Liverpool City Region Race Equality Hub.
Founded in 2018, Grow Wellbeing CIC works across the Liverpool City Region delivering forest school, bushcraft, community gardening, outdoor education and nature-based wellbeing programmes that help people reconnect with nature while improving physical and mental wellbeing. Since its launch, the organisation has worked with schools, community groups, charities, health partners and businesses to create healthier people, stronger communities and greener places.
During the conversation, Duane reflected on his own background in community education, early years leadership and higher education and how those experiences shaped Grow Wellbeing's mission to reconnect people with the natural world.
Speaking about the changing experiences of childhood, he said:
"The experience that we had 30 or 40 years ago... children and young people had a very different experience than they do now. We were exposed to risk and child-led learning because we could explore and discover to our heart's content."
He continued:
"Those skills... assessing risk and planning and trying to minimise risk... for children to have in terms of learning resilience is critical."
The discussion also explored Grow Wellbeing's growing impact within local communities, with Duane highlighting the transformation of a neglected site in Birkenhead into a thriving community space.
"There was this space in central Birkenhead... a hotspot for antisocial behaviour and criminal activity... In 12 months, it's been transformed into a community garden."
The garden now hosts regular volunteering sessions, children's activities and opportunities for local people to grow food, learn new skills and spend time outdoors.
As Duane explained:
"We've got kids clubs happening. We've got gardening sessions. We've got cookery sessions happening there... There has been a reduction in antisocial behaviour. There's been a huge reduction in littering and fly tipping."
A key theme throughout the interview was the challenge of balancing growth with long-term sustainability. While demand for Grow Wellbeing's services continues to increase, Duane explained that many social enterprises face uncertainty because of short-term funding models.
"Those short-term contracts don't sustain long-term growth... we need to look at how we develop markets that can bring sustainable revenue for the future."
He also spoke about the importance of stepping back from day-to-day delivery to focus on the organisation's long-term direction.
"Being able to think about the business, being able to focus on the business, to be on the business, not in the business, is really important."
Looking ahead, Duane outlined exciting ambitions for Grow Wellbeing, including expanding its work with corporate organisations, growing its Forest School training programmes and developing a dedicated Nature Learning Hub that would bring together outdoor learning, community gardening, horticulture and wellbeing in one permanent space.
"We've always had an ambition for developing what we call a Nature Learning Hub... where we bring all of those things together."
The episode also highlighted the value of collaboration between public services and community organisations, with Duane calling for longer-term partnerships that allow socially impactful organisations to flourish and deliver lasting change.
His appearance on Innervision: Business Beyond Barriers offered an opportunity to reflect on Grow Wellbeing's journey so far, while reaffirming the organisation's commitment to helping people of all ages connect with nature, build resilience and strengthen their communities.
As Grow Wellbeing continues to grow, its mission remains the same: creating healthier lives and stronger communities through meaningful experiences in nature.
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