At a time when thousands of high street stores are closing each year, a Peterborough-based initiative is proving there is another way. Up The Garden Bath and its collaborative retail space UNITY are on the cusp of generating £1 million for independent local businesses — a milestone achieved during one of the toughest trading periods in decades.
But the story goes far beyond retail success.
UNITY operates as part of a circular, community-driven model. The shop supports small businesses by offering affordable high street space, while the income it generates funds educational and environmental projects run by Up The Garden Bath. Those same projects then bring families and visitors back into the shop, creating a self-sustaining ecosystem built on collaboration.
What began as a back garden idea — after co-founder Dave Poulton was unable to find employment due to ill health — has evolved into one of Cambridgeshire’s most impactful community enterprises.
UNITY first launched as a six-week pop-up in Queensgate Shopping Centre in 2021 before becoming a permanent store in December 2024. It now supports more than 50 small businesses each month, providing a vital platform for makers and micro-entrepreneurs.
The impact extends well beyond the shop floor. Revenue generated helps fund a range of community initiatives, including upcycling fly-tipped bathtubs into garden planters, delivering sustainability workshops in schools, promoting biodiversity, and offering free creative activities that have reached more than 30,000 families.
To date, Up The Garden Bath has upcycled over 80 bathtubs into planters installed in educational and community spaces, supported hundreds of independent businesses, and returned almost £1 million directly into the local economy.
UNITY has also attracted high-profile visitors such as Olympic gold medallist Louis Smith and former England goalkeeper David James, reinforcing its growing reputation as a community hub.
At a time when the national retail narrative is dominated by decline, UNITY presents a powerful alternative — one rooted in resilience, partnership and shared success.
Co-founder Kez Hayes-Palmer said: “UNITY was never just about selling products. It was about creating a model where business supports community, and community supports business. We are proving that when we work together, we are stronger — economically, socially and environmentally.”
As the £1 million milestone approaches, the initiative stands as clear evidence that collaboration can outperform competition — and that community-led enterprise can drive meaningful, lasting change on the high street.
