The Plot

Welcome to The Plot!

Home to 18 small organisations and Jabulani, a fantastic food court serving Ethiopian, Eritrean, and West African food and Rwandan coffee.

Pop in and experience how a community can come together to do business, have fun, and make a special space for everyone.

The Plot
80—84 Union Street
Plymouth
PL1 3EZ

Tuesday—Saturday
11am—5pm

A book cover titled 'The Plot' with a minimalist white, black, and gray design.

Here are some of The Plotters you can meet when you visit!

The Plotters are a diverse group of amazing individuals and organisations. A mix of socially-minded businesses specialising in food, energy, community development, art, media, technology, sustainability, and innovation.​

A woman with glasses and a navy blue sweater standing outdoors in a field with trees in autumn colors, under a cloudy sky with sunlight

  • Vicky Putler has worked in the creative industries for the last 28 years. 12 years ago, she started a printed textiles business, Thorody, printing her designs onto linen for the interiors industry. Frustration at being unable to buy linen grown in the UK led her to set up The Flax Project, which aims to grow flax for linen and revive the fibre flax/linen industry in the Tamar Valley.

    The Flax Project has now become her main focus. In 2021 The Flax Project grew and harvested 1 acre of flax, and 2 acres in 2022. Vicky has led several community flax growing and flax craft projects in Plymouth, including a Flax Spiral at Snapdragons, Victoria Park, A Mini Flax Farm in the City (Green Minds Commission), and A Flax Corn Dolly in Blockhouse Park (POP commission with the Village Hub).

    At The Plot, Vicky runs workshops in flax crafts, natural dyeing, spinning, weaving and printing. Check out her page on Eventbrite to join and follow their Instagram @flax_project for more information.

Interior of a glass greenhouse-like structure with people inside, promoting a graduate art, design, and architecture show at the university.

  • The Greenhouse acts as a creative technology hub for local organisations and residents, providing technological and digital support through a neighbourhood-based drop-in centre. The Greenhouse is a place where people can experience and play with technology in a way that supports them to learn how it could benefit them. This includes students working in the community, running workshops, events, and one-to-one support for local people and aims to encourage local and sustainable thinking, providing a stimulus for local entrepreneurship.

    This project supports the Civic University approach and aims to raise the profile of the University in the local community so that it feels more accessible for local people and provides support to increase local skills.

    Click here to visit their website!

    Instagram: @thegreenhouse_theplot

A man in mid-air jump during a street performance or outdoor event, with a gathering of people watching behind him, some taking photos, and colorful flags and banners in the background.

  • Plymouth Parkour runs workshops and activities for children and adults who want to use local spaces for free running, a non-competitive form of exercise in which you move freely over areas using only the body.

    www.plymouthparkour.uk

    Instagram: @plymouthparkour

Three women standing outdoors under a tree, holding colorful flyers and making peace signs, smiling at the camera.

  • It Takes A Village is a small group of mums, social entrepreneurs, educators, community builders, cheerleaders and friends. They believe that it really DOES take a village to raise a child, and want to help ensure that families in our community have that village around them.

    Visit ITAV at The Patch in The Plot, come along to their Swap & Shop events or book a slot for your kids in one of their brilliant STEAM (sciene, technology, engineering, art & maths) workshops.

    Facebook: /ItTakesAVillagePlymouth
    Instagram: @takesavillageplym

A smiling woman with curly hair working on a computer at a desk, surrounded by sewing supplies and a mannequin in the background.

  • The Sewcial Guild believes that a fairer world is possible - and that the garment industry has a lot to answer to! With a focus on sewing lessons, crafting get-togethers, alterations, upcycling and raising awareness, they are working hard to rid the world of fast fashion. Join Diane and the rest of the Sewcial crew at The Plot on Tuesdays, from 5:30pm, for their regular crafty gatherings.

    Instagram: @sewcial_guild

    Search “Sewcial Guild” on Facebook

A man with curly hair and tattooed arms is sitting at a desk, laughing.

  • Smarta is on a mission to find you the most competitive deals in the marketplace for your business energy, insurance, merchant services, and phone and broadband. We will not stop until we have achieved a cost saving of at least £1k for each and every business owner. Smarta simplifies business services by searching for and switching to the best deals on your behalf.

    www.smartareductions.co.uk

A person wearing an orange cap and maroon shirt is sealing jars of homemade jam or preserves at a table covered with a colorful floral tablecloth.

  • JarSquad is currently co-animated by Rachel Dobbs, Tess Wilmot and Carmen Wong.

    We initially connected over a deep interest in tasty food sealed in jars, and then came together in Plymouth to start a more focussed and practical conversation around how we could be more active in promoting circular systems of food production, preservation, and communal abundance.

    www.jarsquad.com

    Instagram: @WeAreJarSquad

    Facebook: facebook.com/WeAreJarsquad

  • The Comic Shed is run by freelance illustrator Kitty who specialises in creating visual narratives and pattern design. She also runs Plymouth Zine Library and holds regular zine-making workshops. Pop in for a chat, ask her about commissions and browse her wonderful pin badges, prints, cards, comics and wrapping paper.

    To explore Kitty's work further, be sure to follow her on social media!

A smiling woman with blonde hair and leopard print shirt is holding a colorful felted wool sculpture resembling a bird or animal.

  • I have been fashioning felt in 2D and 3D form for 25 years now and am endlessly fascinated by the new directions it affords as an art form as well as a craft. It truly blurs the boundary. It also has a great many contributions to make in a sustainable future. Stop by The Sheep Shed to talk to me about any aspect of felt making!

    Get in touch with me at maryfeltamazing@yahoo.co.uk

Person sitting in a wheelchair at a booth displaying colorful bags and accessories.

  • Seamingly Kreepy is home to Megan, a seamstress and bag designer. They created a variety of products, from backpacks to purses, all using their Kreepy fabric. Locals can custom order and collect by appointment at Megan's shed. If there is a fabric you particularly like, get in contact and commission a unique piece!

    There are items for every price range, from £10-£180. If you are looking to jazz up your wardrobe, check out Seamingly Kreepy’s website, or pop into the shed and have a chat! 

    Check out their website: https://www.seaminglykreepy.co.uk/

People sorting plastic bottle caps of various colors at a table in an indoor setting.

  • Precious Plastic Plymouth & Tavistock

    We are part of Precious Plastic, a global community, who in the true spirit of social enterprise, put their idea out there for us all to use. In a nutshell, it involves recycling plastic by shredding it, heating it and re-molding it into new useful/artistic creations. We use our machines to recycle plastic that is otherwise difficult to recycle and reduce transport and other associated costs by recycling locally. We think of this as a fun project to bring the community together, engage with recycling and plastic waste issues and get creative. Even better, this process can create high-quality saleable plastic products.

    www.preciousplasticplymouth.co.uk

    Instagram: @preciousplasticplymtavi

A barista serving a customer at a coffee shop with black and white geometric patterned wallpaper.

  • Jabulani was founded in 2020. The idea of creating a food hub came from a DBI (Diversity Business Incubator) networking event with women from diverse communities who were highly skilled chefs. They loved cooking for their family, friends and communities but didn’t have the space to express and talk in length about the food in their culture and associated skills.

    Through networking and communication, the idea of creating this space came about that could not only accommodate them within the community, sharing their food and culture, but also making it as a business. So, Jabulani is that space where dialogues are formed from food but it is also giving back to the Black and Asian women community from the South West by supporting them to flourish and succeed.

    Currently, Jabulani is home to three businesses: Jabulani Coffee which offers single-origin coffee sourced from Rwanda, run by Liliane and Hana, African Delight run by Clarise and Sarrah, and Elsie’s Habesha Cuisine by Elizabeth.

    Stop by for a bite from Tuesday—Saturday, 12:00—18:00!

    www.jabulani.me.uk

    Instagram: @wearejabulani

A man and woman sitting inside a black woven hanging chair. The man has a beard, wearing a green hat and colorful patterned shirt, holding a creepy-looking doll dressed in overalls and a top hat. The woman is smiling, wearing glasses, a straw hat, and a teal cardigan, hugging a large white plush doll decorated with colorful writings and red hearts. The background features a plywood wall with small shelves and artwork.

  • WonderZoo is an audacious and uncompromising Storytelling adventure infused with 1920s surrealism and Punk DIY Ethics. It attracts like-minded folk, gathering amiable people of a diverse range of talent, literary flair, creative nous and lunacy.

    www.wonderzoo.org

    Instagram: @wonderzoocollective

Man standing next to a NeuDICE banner at a conference, smiling and wearing a plaid shirt
Three people in a cozy wooden room, with labels pointing to each. The person on the left has a label 'STU,' the person in the middle with a laptop has a label 'MAL,' and the person on the right has a label 'MIMI.' The room is decorated with books, art, and colorful items.

  • Queer Out Loud CIC is the Southwests queer support network. They sell work by queer creatives, host monthly social events such as performance nights at B-Bar Plymouth, and provide free Gender Affirming Care and mobility aids.

    Learn more about them over on their website: https://queeroutloud.com/


    Or get in touch via email: Hello@QueerOutLoud.com

    Instagram: @QueerOutLoud

Group of nine people standing together outdoors near graffiti-covered wall, with some chairs and a bench in the foreground, and a white van and parked cars in the background.

  • Connecting Youth CIC is a youth organisation. Their vision is that the young people they work with believe in themselves, feel safe and can take control of their futures. Their mission is to build trusting relationships with young people and provide a safe space to enable them to take control of their future and to work with young people to break down barriers through projects, activities and events.

    Head to their website to find out more, or stop by The Plot and catch one of their Youth Ambassadors!

Want to join?

The Plot is currently at capacity but we keep a waiting list!

Click here to read about The Plot’s aims, values and the benefits of being a Plotter and to express your interest in joining.

Past Plotters

The Plot is a great springboard for small businesses looking to scale up. Here are some of the organisations that moved onto bigger things!

  • Woman with long gray hair and glasses smiling outdoors in front of green leafy foliage.

    The Weaving Shed

  • A smiling man with glasses in a radio station studio, featuring two computer monitors with DJ software, a microphone, a keyboard, and a mixing controller, with a large sign in the background reading "PTOWN RADIO" and contact information.

    PTown Radio

  • A man smiling in front of a display of embroidered mandala designs at an art booth. The booth has a sign with the word "HOPE" in pink.

    The Love Shack

  • Group of seven diverse people standing indoors in a celebratory setting, holding a certificate and posing for a photo.

    Plymouth Hope

  • Azza's Gallery

    Azza's Gallery

  • A woman smiling broadly in a colorful butterfly-patterned dress and matching head wrap, standing in a storage room with shelves filled with various items.

    B.B. Excel Designs

  • Two women sitting at a table, smiling and engaging in conversation, with lighting and home improvement products on the table and shelves behind them.

    Plymouth Energy Community

  • Four women taking a selfie in front of a stone wall, smiling at the camera.

    Gifted Women

  • A woman with short curly red hair and earrings smiling in a room with a yellow wall and blue curtains.

    The Care Nest

  • Two men in a recording studio with mixing equipment, headphones, and microphones, sitting at a table with live streaming or podcasting setup.

    Omnium Radio

  • A woman with glasses and shoulder-length dark hair has a joyful expression as she receives a gift in a room decorated with fairy lights. Another person, with long brown hair, is sitting at a table with a laptop, a mug with a bird design, cords, and some papers.

    Creative Curiosities

  • Two women standing behind a service counter at a cafe, wearing aprons and smiling, surrounded by coffee-making equipment and decorations.

    Buddha Hut

  • A child wearing a helmet and colorful clothes riding a green mountain bike on a trail in a dense green forest with large trees and fallen leaves.

    Plymouth Mountain Bike Collective

  • Smiling young woman with short hair and flower crown sitting at a decorated table inside a shop. Behind her is a sign that reads 'SHOP SMALL' and various items on the wall.

    The Original Fruitcakes