Kehelland Gallery: Press Cuttings : Cornish Gardener

This text is from the Cornish Gardener - March 2001 KEHELLAND HORTICULTURAL CENTRE GOES HI - TECH.

Kehelland Horticultural Centre, just a couple of miles outside of Camborne and only a short distance from the A30, is holding its Grand Annual Sales Week from Monday 26th March to Saturday 30th March and
Cornish Gardener readers are being offered a discount voucher to make a saving of 2O% off all purchases during this period. An Offer NOT to be missed!

Frequent visitors to Kehelland will notice that changes are about, including improved directional signs. The Kehelland image has been overhauled - all signs, stationery and uniforms sport the new symbol which includes not only the well known Kehelland wheelbarrow but a PYO symbol ( a major activity of the centre ) and the most important of all, the outline of people - the latter representing Kehellands 'special' people (adults with learning disabilities) of whom Kehelland staff say they are very privileged to work with, who are provided with daily work experience, in a friendly and caring day care setting.

Check the website on www.kehellandhort.co.uk and look at the offers available. Plants are already for sale on-line - starting with a special collection of camellias and bamboos and grasses later in the year, available to customers across the UK. There is an enhancement to their PYO - pick your own - information, diaries explain when you can expect to pick what and when, with a hotline telephone number to ring on the day of your visit just to ensure that what you want is actually available - there is even a weather forecast on the PYO page to ensure you dress suitably for the weather conditions of the day. And of couse a full catalogue with prices, maps and diary dates.

The site also has a plant of the month - available at a special price in their store for the month of the offer - a link to their catalogue clearly shows the products available for purchase at the shop during the month with the plants / variety hoticultural name and pricing. New horticultural courses are to begin shortly - not for gaining certification - but assisting the gardener who wants to get her / his hands dirty working alongside a professional and learning new skills and approaches.

The new ideas and changes have been developed and instigated by Acorn Marketing (a social company owned by Pentreath Industries) headed by Rod Stephens.
Rod says, "It has been one of the most stimulating teams I have ever worked with - the enthusiasm to serve the customer with a quality product or service is quite amazing from both staff and trainees alike. It is our intention to show customers that it is worthwhile to track down and find the Kehelland location because you won't buy from anywhere else once you've found this gem of a Horticultural Centre. 'And it's for a cause, supporting great people who would otherwise be disadvantaged in the job marketplace. What more could you wish for?"

Andrew Mills, sales manger says" I'm excited with the new opportunities of reaching my customers - now I can e-mail letters to long standing customers informing them of new stocks and promotions - and when my on-line shopping went live I gained my his first sale within hours of operation."

The centre manager Colin Williamson quotes "I hope that the new changes constantly being put into place, and the new communications of e-mail and the large internet site targeting both gardeners and produce buyers alike, will bring many more customers to our shop or order on-line. We are a charity and all the profits we make are returned to the Centre."
"We have a superb relationship with the local community and the village is very supportive, but our people are deserving of so much more, so we must increase our selling power and attract customers from further away and maybe purchasers from across the UK.
Come back in a year's time to see how all our plans have developed. And don't forget a future date in your Diary - we are holding our Giant Vegetable Show this year on the 28th September and are accepting entries now".