About Us

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Our Story

The Enterprise Centre is a registered Charity, it also trades under the name of Naturally Enterprising from our bespoke education and conservation centre. This amazing facility is situated in the heart of the Kirklees Valley Nature Reserve and is purpose-built to provide outdoor Alternative Education provision with equine assisted learning, learning with horses and equine therapy Bury.

We host a range of other innovative, creative and enterprising projects using a combination of learning with horses and therapy, the great outdoors, conservation, enterprise skills, art therapy, health and well-being coaching, teamwork and confidence building. We help young people, women and NEETs develop their self-esteem and aspire to great things for themselves and their communities.

With your help, we are making our community a better place

Using a range of small grants and charitable donations, we helped in excess of 2,000 individuals of various ages, many of whom are suffering from a range of mental health problems or other issues that can be detrimental to their well being. All activities take place at our purpose-built centre which has a 40 ft lodge/ workshop, 4 stables to house our Equine Assisted Learning therapy ponies, a small office for private coaching and one to one mentoring and a brand new sustainable eco building especially for our adult clients (NEET). All of this has been made possible with donations, small grants and many volunteer hours.

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Mission & Approach

Our mission is to ensure that all young people, women and other disadvantaged individuals who need our service can benefit from what we can offer here at our amazing Naturally Enterprising centre.

On our Alternative Education provision, we specialise in Earth Education, conservation science including ; climate change, ecology, animal health, learning with horses, equine therapy and physiology.

For fun we do natural arts and crafts, land and water conservation all of which is supported by Equine Assisted Learning and therapy. Numeracy, literacy and science is fully integrated into all of our accredited programmes which are endorsed by UK Rural Skills.

For the community, we offer a friendship café, pavilion, community gardens, and access to The Magical Secret Garden and wildlife pond. The work here has been supported by Veolia Environmental Trust, Tesco bags for help and Asda Community foundation.

Our History

2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2017
2017
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2017

2024
- Second year of Heritage Lottery Funds secured.
- The National Community Lottery supported 20+ women with mental health and set up a women’s networking group.
- Continued successful alternative provision for young people alongside equine-assisted therapy.
- Developed collaboration partnerships with East Lancs Railway, Wonderful Life Academy and Kirklees Valley Wildlife Rescue.
2023
- 10 alternative education places supported by equine-assisted therapy. All students had severe SEND/SEMH or other neurodiverse conditions.
- Successful bid- Steel Charities Trust. 20 women took part in well-being/confidence-building training.
- Successful bid – Heritage Lottery Fund secured. 22 community events with over 265 individuals attending.
- 58 young people aged 11-16 supported under HAF funding (FSM programme from Bury Council).
2022
- Successful ESF/WEA bid to give 12 women the opportunity to Step up to Success after the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Successful application to Bury Council Climate Change fund – solar energy to be installed.
- Successful delivery of Do It project -150 beneficiaries
- Appointed our student of two years as apprentice EAL assistant.
2021
- Successful ESF/WEA bid to give 12 women the opportunity to Step up to Success after the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Dannielle Hornsby (QTS) came on board here at The Enterprise Centre.
2020
- Continued Open Access to all Alternative Provision students throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
- New £18,600 European Social Fund bid secured and started – 12 beneficiaries take part face to face on zoom.
- Cafe closed due to pandemic until further notice.
- New application to Veolia to make good floods and reopening preparations with Social Distancing.
- Hundreds of community visitors to The Lodge, Community Garden and Kingsbury Woods.
2019
- Successful £70,000 Sports England Community Asset Fund application and £10,000 Bury Council Social Capital Bid
- Secret Garden Project complete and open to the public in March.
- Secured £18,000 ESF funds to deliver Step up to Success to 16 Women.
- Children in Need and Welcome Trust Curiosity bid completed with 60 + young people attending holiday activity programmes.
- New building opened by Major on the 2nd of November.
2018
- Successful Children in Need “Curiosity” bid.
- Community Café re-opened with a new pavilion for indoor eating.
- Junior Board established.
- Developed ideas for Secret Garden Project with the Community and Junior Board.
2017
- Secured support from the Asda foundation and set up a Community Café at The Naturally Enterprising Centre.
- Tony Lloyd project continued and in all 105 beneficiaries went through it.
2016
- Secured National Lottery Support to help complete the facilities at The Naturally Enterprising Centre.
- Hosted a EU project visit with 6 European partner states in attendance and many local social entrepreneur ambassadors.
2015
- Hosted an open day with 200 visitors and senior council officials.
- Secured a European contract with 6 European partner states developing an online social business support model.
2014
- Secured a 25-year lease, broke ground and began building The Naturally Enterprising Centre.
2013
- Re-positioned and re-built the Naturally Enterprising project with National Lottery funds.
2012
- Created the Naturally Enterprising project, combining the benefits of nature and enterprise.
- Established as a registered Charity.
2011
- Hosted the Manchester Achievers conference in Oldham.
2010
- Delivered the Enterprise highway model in 10 schools in Oldham.
2008
- Re-constituted as The Enterprise Centre limited CLG.
2007
- Developed the enterprise highway model under contract with Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council and delivered enterprise education to 3 schools in Oldham.
2006
- Moved to Oldham to manage the New Start contract, which created 25 new enterprises.
2005
- Entered a partnership with City College Manchester.
- Delivered business support on behalf of Manchester Enterprises and developed MSEF into Together Works.
2004
- Co-developed the Manchester Social Enterprise Forum (MSEF) with MERCi.

Meet the Team

Alison Hornsby

Founder and Managing Director of The Enterprise Centre with over 25 years experience in enterprise and education both in the design and delivery of a wide range of capacity building projects for the public sector. Alison is passionate and focused on innovative and practical client-led enterprise development projects. She is the author of the only QCA approved stand-alone Project Management Qualification and designer of a number of other enterprise accreditations at level 2, her work was recently commended at The National Leadership Conference. Alison is also an equine psychologist, equine therapist and an animal assisted therapy coach. She is committed to building neighbourhoods and as such, all the projects she is involved with have a community capacity building underlying theme.

Allan Lawrence

Allan Lawrence has previously worked as the International Business Manager at Blackburn College, Walsall College and Hopwood Hall College, where he worked to recruit international students, and develop Joint Education Projects with partners from around the world achieving income targets in excess of £1m for each college. Allan has also operated as a consultant in the field of education and training and has worked as a lecturer and manager in further and higher vocational education for over 30 years. He was the Project Manager at Salford University for the project to establish the Salford Innovation Park.

At Salford University, he specialised in programmes of training that developed entrepreneurship, creativity and business skills. He has been involved in projects with Salford and Manchester-based small business NGO’s and Manchester’s growing social enterprise sector.

During most of his career, he has been involved in the development and management of a large number of international education projects within the European Union, Russia, India, Africa and the Far East. He has also worked as a consultant for the European Union, assessing applications for funding on behalf of the EU’s Lifelong Learning Programme. Dr Allan Lawrence has been an EU Assessor for over 15 years.

Dannielle Bromley

Co-founder of the Naturally Enterprising project. Dannielle is a fully qualified teacher, safeguarding lead and CEOP ambassador. She also specialises in equine psychology and is an equine therapist. Dannielle brings educational experience as well as a passion for outdoor learning and equine therapy. Her knowledge on child safeguarding and all other related protocols and practices are up to date and she passes this on to the rest of the organisation.

Dave Wright

Dave is a successful small business owner who has an array of experiences spanning 40 years working with trainees and apprenticeships from start to completion. Using skills he has acquired over many years he now acts as an inspector and assessor of gas safety across Greater Manchester on behalf of a few major installers of heating services. Dave brings a practical yet sometimes wild card approach to the board with his diverse experiences in life and business.

Rebecca Walker

Rebecca has supported The Enterprise Centre in a volunteering capacity since 2012. She has a background in holistic therapies which she now brings to The Naturally Enterprising Hub. She qualified with a teaching diploma level 3 in 2020 and is also an equine psychologist. She has an array of recognised accreditations in Mental Health, Autism and First Aid.

Patrick Lawrence

Patrick is a Software Developer with 10 years of experience working within the Digital Media industry. Since graduating from University in 2015 and with help from The Enterprise Centre, Patrick has developed into a passionate and talented entrepreneur. He is a Director of multiple companies, including a 3D printing company and a software development company. With his insightful knowledge of the modern world and current trends, he keeps The Enterprise Centre’s online platforms up to date whilst also creating their digital media content.

Jonathan Phillips

A Senior Manager at Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council focusing on economic development, business and enterprise, employment, skills and training, external funding, European policy and regeneration. Jonathan is enthusiastic about getting people back to work and contributing to his community. He currently manages the operations of Get Oldham Working. They have created close to 3,000 employment-related opportunities, including 1,500 jobs, 450 apprenticeships and 190 paid placements. His youthful wisdom, networks and role of responsibility as a public servant brings strategy and focus to The Enterprise Centre.

Julian Cohen

Julian has had over thirty five years’ experience in the horticultural industry. During this time he was a garden centre manager and self-employed gardener, being fully qualified under the Royal Horticultural Society. During his time as a manager he mentored students with varying special needs that went on to gain employment. Following an accident Julian found art to ease his impatient mind and soon realised it helped to soothe him! Practising with various mediums and using nature as a central theme he has gained a reputation as a great community artist. As well as exhibiting at various craft fairs around Greater Manchester, he now helps others to use a variety of craft and art techniques to ease their minds whilst making new friends.

Neil Gowing

Neil Gowing is CEO of Wonderful Life Academy. He was born in Bury and spent 40 years searching for his life purpose. He finally found it in Personal Performance Coaching and NLP. His passion in life is to help as many people as possible be the best they can be, find their purpose and fulfil a truly wonderful life. The well-being groups he runs at The Enterprise Centre provide a friendly and supportive environment where members encourage and support one another. Whatever area of your life you are not 100% happy with or if you simply want to challenge yourself to be the best you can be; Neil will empower you to succeed.

Tracy Harrison

Tracy Harrison is level 3 BHS qualified and equine coach PTT. She is a qualified teaching assistant level 3 and has an array of recognised accreditations in personal mastery and project management.

Tracy is currently a social prescriber in Bury for the GP federation.

Leisha Bell

Leisha is a registered general nurse, previously working in the NHS and then for the private sector at The Highfield Hospital. She is a senior staff nurse, pre-op Sister and lead manager.

Leisha has mentored many students and is an academic nursing supervisor for student nurses. She has completed her level 3 adult and child safeguarding lead.

Morgan Massey

Morgan Massey is BHS stage 2 groom and fully insured instructor. She has lots of hands on experience with horses, helping young people achieve their goals and fully reap the rewards of being around these beautiful animals. Morgan has experience teaching a wide variety of horses and riders from all different walks of life!