Vision & Model

VISION

Northern Roots exists to transform neglected land, connecting communities and creating opportunities for all to grow.

Inspired by our local communities and working closely with health professionals, creatives, educators, environmentalists and businesses, Northern Roots is creating a unique community hub and visitor destination.

Born in Oldham, Northern Roots is using regenerative land management techniques to transform uncared for space into a destination that is ‘of’ the local community, but for everyone.

Our aim is to create inspirational spaces, moments and opportunities for people to connect around food, growing, nature, learning, creativity, sport, enterprise, work and play; and to do this in a way that supports nature, enhances wellbeing, creates jobs, and builds hope, pride and aspiration.

By sharing our journey, and building a robust model, we aim to inspire other places to breathe life into similarly neglected spaces, transforming them into vibrant, productive destinations.

A project as bold and ambitious as Northern Roots requires an innovative approach. Our model is ground-breaking in several ways:

1. Our operating model and governance structure is unique. Implicit in the whole project is the need for collaboration, partnership, and the relinquishing of control, in order to leverage in greater investment, creativity and innovation. Oldham Council owns the Northern Roots site but has never been in a position to harness its full potential. The Council has, therefore, helped to set up the Northern Roots charity in order to breathe new life into this long-neglected piece of land. The Council is in the process of granting a 75-year lease to the Northern Roots charity, so that it can attract investment and funding, and unleash the potential of this space. Northern Roots will then, in turn, support a range of small businesses to operate on and from the site, thereby creating a collaborative, new entrepreneurial community on this former industrial site. All Northern Roots businesses will play their part in delivering the charity’s core purposes.

2. We seek to deliver outcomes for people, planet and place holistically. We are working to nurture and restore this piece of land so that it can deliver impact and opportunity for the people who live around it in the form of learning, qualifications, jobs, businesses, healthy food, exercise, fun, and mental wellbeing. This approach is challenging and unusual, but ultimately far more impactful.

3. We see our role as intermediaries, creating opportunities for the people of Oldham to shape, create and grow their own vision for what Northern Roots should be. At every stage – through the co-design of buildings and spaces, the construction of our Community Garden and Farm, the design and delivery of our events, and the nurturing of new businesses, we want Oldhamers to feel that this is their Northern Roots. To build a new community of purpose around this neglected space.

4. With the input of our communities and partners we have developed a variety of programmes, designed to appeal to the broadest possible cross section of our neighbours and future visitors, and providing an infinite variety of entry points into, and journeys through, Northern Roots. These are Learning, Growing and Food, Environmental Conservation, the Natural Health Service, Sports, and Arts, Culture and Heritage.