Barking & Dagenham Giving - Back at the Boathouse

In this special edition of Nine Miles East, BD Giving returned to the Studio to speak with Carole Pluckrose, the artistic director of Boathouse Studios and one of the early participants in BD Giving’s GROW Fund, England’s first community-led investment fund.

Carole opens up about the ways the GROW Fund’s support—an unrestricted grant, a development program, and a £75,000 social investment—is helping business evolve.

With candid reflections, she shares both the challenges and the triumphs of becoming “investment ready” and highlights the broader impact the GROW Fund has sparked.

This episode offers an inspiring glimpse into how resident-led funding can drive meaningful social and commercial change, with The Boathouse Studios standing as a vibrant example of community spirit, blending the arts, hospitality, and entrepreneurship.

Listen here: Spotify Podcast, Apple Podcast, Amazon Music