Be proud of your pension: Meet Hope, owner of Wild Roots

At Nest, over 13 million members like you are made investors through their pensions. This means you’re invested in projects across the UK. Some may be further away, others closer to home. Like your local shopping centre for example.   

Through our partnership with Legal & General (L&G), your pension savings are invested in The Dolphin Shopping Centre, in Poole, Dorset. Once an area experiencing declining footfall and an exodus of businesses, it’s now home to an NHS outpatient centre, a co-working space, and a revitalised street, known locally as Kingland, filled with independent businesses – including Wild Roots.   

Like many people during the Covid-19 lockdown, Hope Dean turned to houseplants to create a personal oasis at home. What began as a passion quickly blossomed into a business, nurtured by a family of gardening enthusiasts. And thanks to L&G’s initiative, in part funded by your Nest pension investments, Hope’s dream of opening a physical shop became a reality.  

We sat down with Hope to hear her inspiring story.

Could you tell us about your journey to founding Wild Roots?  

Wild Roots was established in 2020 and now we're going into our fourth Christmas! It’s had its challenges, but it's been a huge success, and I'm really excited for the future.  

Growing up as a child, I was a little bit entrepreneurial. I used to love playing shops, but I never thought I would have my own. It wasn't until I came across this opportunity with L&G, funded in part by Nest, that I thought this might be my calling.  

Has the initiative by L&G and the investment from partners, like Nest, been a catalyst for enabling you to open the shop?    

If it wasn't for this initiative, I wouldn't have been able to open the shop - full stop. This initiative offering free rent, and free rates was crucial - I had a little bit of cash to start with from a redundancy payout, but that's all I had.   

I've grown up in Poole, so the importance of Kingland is huge. We've built a community in a street where there wasn't much going on. We've all come together over the years. Now, we host free events like plant swaps and repotting, as well as paid workshops, which benefit the entire community. 

What would you say has been your proudest moment so far?  

My proudest moment since opening the shop in 2020 is growing a team of employees. It was very clear from the start that I needed extra hands and people who had more knowledge than me.  

Since Wild Roots began, my parents always championed and supported me in every way they can. It's been amazing to have my mum work here to listen to all my moans, but also be part of the success. And she has a Nest pension which is brilliant!  

Do you offer your employees a pension scheme?  

As a business owner, I've had to learn everything from scratch. I reached out to local business owners for recommendations, as well as friends and family. Nest was the top recommended supplier, so we now have some full-time members who have a Nest pension pot.   

It's lovely to see that once you start a pension with Nest, they continuously invest your pension into all sorts of different projects, such as Kingland.  

Can you tell us about your ambitions for the future?  

It's one of those things as a business owner, you can't just sit still. I've always wanted multiple shops, so we are expanding our current shop here at Kingland to double the footfall. Half of our new space will be for workshops, and the other half for retail.  

What plant would you recommend for someone who wants to start their houseplant journey?  

I recommend the snake plant. It’s one of the best houseplants for the oxygen they give out, making it perfect for an office or bedroom, or someone who suffers with asthma. Plus, it requires low levels of watering.  

For business owners like Hope, the opportunity to have a large shop was life changing. When businesses like Hope’s thrive, they create jobs, pay rent, and contribute to the local economy – all of which help boost your pension savings. 

Published 15 October 2024