Fresh Start’s first horticulture academy concluded in autumn 2016 and after its success and positive feedback, Fresh Start is confident that more horticulture academies will take place in other locations around the UK in the near future. Delegates from the recent academy found that the varied sessions provided a great insight into the issues surrounding growing a fledging business into a viable profitable concern, and found that new thinking around business planning and finance that the course provided grew their confidence in changing the way they work. Much emphasis was also given to the value of the industry contacts gained from attending the academy, the opportunity to share information about markets and food outlets and the potential for support in the future as their enterprises grow.