The Bizfizz effect in action: Tracey Mace

Gardening has opened up a new future for Bizfizz client Tracey Mace, who is now helping people’s gardens to blossom across the city.

Mother-of-three Tracey suffered from post-natal depression after the birth of her third child in 2000. She had ongoing problems with depression and although she trained as a nursery nurse, she was unable to cope with the work, suffering anxiety and stress and eventually leaving her job in May 2006.

Tracey went to Brighter Futures in Hanley – a drop in centre for people with mental health issues (there is also one in Burslem) where she met Melanie who became her support worker. Melanie took Tracey to meet Steve Gaunt from Jobcentre Plus - an incapacity benefits personal adviser. He was able to help Tracey sort out her incapacity benefit after she resigned and work through her options to help her get back to work. Tracey was then referred to Growthpoint, a gardening project for adults with mental health needs, and quickly discovered a love of gardening. She started working three hours a week and her manager suggested she might be good enough to start a business.

When she told him about the idea of a gardening business, Steve knew it was the sort of passion that Carolyn Powell, the Bizfizz coach, might be able to help nurture.
Working together Steve, Carolyn and Melanie were able to help Tracey go it alone with Garden Angels, a specialist gardening service that caters for vulnerable people such as the elderly and lone women.

Tracey said: “Because of what I’ve been through I know how people feel alone in their homes and I updated the Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) check that I had from my nursery career. Most of my referrals are now coming through Growthpoint and I have seven clients already since starting the business in October. The Bizfizz panel was also a huge help, Carolyn gave me a huge sheet of ideas and I’m still working through them – when I’ve got time!”

The Jobcentre were able to advise Tracey about the work she could do to aid her rehabilitation and still remain on benefit. Tracey is on supported permitted work. This meant that she did not have to make the leap straight off benefit.
Tracey said “If I do just less than 16 hours per week and earn under £88.50 a week I can retain my benefit. That’s enough work for me to take on anyway. I’m not trying to grow a big business with employees, I just want to be able to earn some extra money and do something I enjoy”.

Tracey is completing a course in horticulture and has recently taken on an allotment in Stoke, which her children come and help with – her youngest daughter is a determined apprentice Garden Angel.

For somebody battling depression, the challenge of a new business has given Tracey new hope. “I didn’t want to go back to my old jobs and I now have discovered something I love doing. The business doesn’t make the depression go away but it is giving me a challenge that I’m really thriving on. I feel like I’ve got a future now.”