Famous Five Minutes

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We don’t have a PR department, a MarComms Team or even a Webmaster (is that still a job) but we are blushing on the telly, grinning our radio faces off and signing autographs on the latest edition of the Elyi Magazine. Suddenly after 30 years of “growing differently” we appear to have become popular! Now we are not contemplating making Tilly Tractor audition for the next series of Love Island, Farmer Mark isn’t trading in his trademark hat for botox, Hannah hasn’t traded her steel-toe caps for red carpet stilettos, Shop Manager Tom hasn’t got an agent (yet) and Maz knows she is only in the photos to make everyone else look much, much taller, but we are feeling a bit more like local celebrities thanks to some great articles, telly slots and radio interviews.

We hope you caught some of our recent interviews but for those who have missed them or those (erm yep Farmer Mark’s family) who want to relive the magic moments, here, for a short time only, are some links to the media malarkey:

Listen to Tom, Hannah and Maz talk about the new Ely Shop and the Prospects Trust Open day with Chris South on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07kv6z9

The Farm captured in action by BBC Look East

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and finally!

YES you can ask for our autographs at the 30th Anniversary Open Day on the 14th September but you will have to buy a raffle ticket or two!

The Opening Ceremony

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After almost a year in the planning, months in the funding and practically weeks in the shop fitting we are almost ready* to turn the key to the door of Prospects Trust Unwrapped! *who are we kidding we shall never be ready but we are very eager.

The Grand Opening Ceremony will take place at Unwrapped HQ, 13 Lynn Road, Ely, Cambs CB7 4EG from 11 for a VIP key turn at 11:30 am. You can rsvp a place on our Facebook Events page: https://www.facebook.com/events/947315945617658/

Help Unwrap Unwrapped

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With just two more sleeps to our grand opening we are still looking for local support with our Crowdfunding appeal: https://chuffed.org/project/unwrap-prospects-trust-unwrapped-fill-the-refill-stock-the-shop or donations can be made through our localgiving page: localgiving.org/charity/prospectstrustatsnakehallfarm/project/unwrapthesstock/

Thank you to all those who have already donated, volunteered or supported this exciting new venture, we could not have done this without your help. Team Prospects Unwrapped!

Brewing up a storm

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Thanks to our local supplier and highstreet indie, Samovar Tea House , we will be serving an Unwrapped house blend of loose leaf tea. Samovar Tea House was established in 2011. They are an independent, family-owned speciality Tea house and café located at 23 Forehill, Ely.  They stock a vast range (over 100 types) of high-quality loose-leaf teas including many exclusive house blends created at Samovar. Samovar’s teas and herbs are imported from all over the world.

We are bring Hot Numbers to Ely! Hot Numbers state that speciality coffee is a movement – a drive for better coffee and a better living for coffee farmers. For coffee to be qualified as speciality, it must be graded between 80-100 points on a 100 point scale. To achieve this, coffee producers painstakingly hand pick and sort fully ripe coffee cherries. With all this extra effort in the supply chain to enhance flavour, Hot Numbers accept the responsibility as a speciality roaster to select exciting yet ethical Arabica coffee for your cup. Hot Numbers believe a great cup of coffee is a simple pleasure, but it is the product of many hands and a lot of passion. Come try a Flat White, Expresso, Macchiato, Latte & Cappuccino in a real cup in Ely!

The Big Green Swish

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Friday 19th July from 7pm at Prospects Trust Unwrapped 13 Lynn Road, Ely

An amazing eco-event comes to Ely! The first opportunity to showcase our new shop (minus our produce but lots of pop up stalls and clothes rails instead). This is a fabulous community collaboration with our new friends at EcoEly, Ely Swish and Spotted in Ely. Come for a wardrobe refresh that won’t break your bank balance nor the environment, grab the next size up to make room for delicious cake and slurp a cuppa while chatting to our local producers, awareness raisers and the team members behind the event!

Book your Swish Ticket here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-big-green-swish-tickets-64422541556

Re-Toy Story – Pre-loved Toy Sale on 20th July 11:30 to 2pm @Prospects Trust Unwrapped Ely

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Prospects Trust Unwrapped hasn’t yet swung open its doors for trading but we are looking forward to a few pop-up fundraising events in our new shop space. Our second fundraising event is our Pre-loved Toy Sale. We are taking over the Lighthouse Community Room just in time for the school summer holidays. You can clear out the toy cupboards & children’s book shelves and replenish with new to them (but preloved before). Either book a sellers pitch with a £5 donation towards Prospects Trust (Reg. Charity No 1048584/Co. Ltd by Guarantee 3087221) or attend the event as a buyer, remember to bring your bags & boxes! There will be refreshments on sale and you will get an opportunity to take an early sneaky peak at the new shop.

Prospects Unwrapped’s Toy Sale will be held at Lighthouse Ely, 13 Lynn Road, Ely CB7 4EG. Click here for “Where to Park” and to find details of this event on Facebook: Facebook Event – Toy Sale and Insta

With a little help from our friends

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Mace Group Volunteers Get Shop Fit!

The Ely shop is taking shape thanks to 100s of donated hours from great corporate groups and our firm friends (you know who you are). This week the wonderful Steve, Rupert, Martin and Giorgia from Mace left no job undone! Farm friend Ken H has been on the tools from the day we turned the key, he has painted the place from top to bottom. Lots of support from the Lighthouse Community has meant that Manager Tom has been kept busy but also supported. We have transformed the abandoned space into a really retro retail space on a shoestring budget and lots of up-cycled furnishings. We cannot express our gratitude to all who have helped unwrap Prospects Trust Unwrapped.

We are still looking to fit out the Farm Food Servery, we need a new kitchen, sinks and catering kit. We can recycle pre-loved units, giving them a lease of life in our vital food hub. Offers of help to be sent to tom.cockerton@prospectstrust.org.uk or call the Farm Office on 01638 7414551

Weigh in Weigh in – Zero-Waste Heavyweights in Ely

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Prospects Trust at Snakehall Farm has been the home of “naked” cucumbers since 1989. For 30 years we have never shrink wrapped our cucumbers and we have always sold locally grown organic produce direct to our customers in our little “veg shed” on the farm.

Now we are bringing our old idea to Ely. By September 2019 our Ely customers will be able to source their local, organic, eco and seasonal products plastic free in a brand new shop – Prospects Unwrapped.

We have just purchased the most amazing scales and till system to make this unpackaged way to shop easy peasy (fingers crossed). You will bring your own containers, weigh & tare, print label, fill and weigh again – then repeat! Don’t worry we will always have a helpful staff & trainee on hand to help.

We have also been donated this rather eye catching retro scale – as a feature of our shop! Don’t worry trading standards our new scales are much more accurate than this.

Unwrapping a Refill Larder for Ely

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Refill Larder Takes Shape with Upcycled Scaffolding Shelves and a lot of DIY talent

Prospects Trust Unwrapped brings plastic wrap free shopping opportunity to Ely. The Refill Wall is starting to take shape in our shop front. It arrived by pallet (in lots and lots of wrapping – all being reused, re purposed or recycled) and took up the entire lobby of Lighthouse Ely.

Sorry Lighthouse Ely – Prospects Unwrapped promises to be better tenants once doors open!

Cuppa & Chat Consultations – 9th May 2019

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  • Larder Stock Ideas
  • Prospects Produce
  • Organic & Upcycled

Thank you to all our local supporters who attended the two public consultation events held in our empty shop front on a dull day in May with their bright chatter. We were inundated with offers of help, questions and general support that we have been busy ever since turning our business plan into a fully functioning shop in time for the Snakehall Farm Harvest. Thank you to all who attended, gave us feedback and joined our mailing list.

Thank you for your feedback on the stock you want to see in our amazing Refill Larder space. We will be offering dried goods and refill liquids alongside our fresh farm produce and your feedback has helped us find the right local and UK wholesalers to bring you these items plastic wrap free and affordable.

Refill Wall Stock Ideas from our Customers

From our surveys we have discovered everyone is supportive of our venture (but nobody was going to be rude to our faces right?) but more importantly we found that people want to shop locally and seasonally, which is fabulous for a farm shop that can stock direct from our fields. We also found out that local was more important than organic. We are lucky to be able to provide both options. Our shop stock will tick either “local” “organic” “sustainable” or “eco” or it won’t hit out shelves.