A new gardening business promises to sow seeds of hope for disadvantaged people in Oxford. Aardvark Gardeners' Co-operative aims to bring jobs to people who have suffered disabilities such as mental illness, by offering a service to homes, businesses and local authorities around Oxford.

Director Michael Eden, who himself spent a short time as a patient at Littlemore Hospital, Oxford, said: "Aardvark Gardeners' Co-operative is a step beyond rehabilitation, and has a great deal of potential, not just for the founder members, but for many others to come."

Mr Eden is working on establishing the Aardvark Co-operative with the help of the Snakes and Ladders Project, funded by the Department of Trade and Industry Phoenix Fund.

In the late 1980s, Mr Eden worked as a gardener for companies including Nortec Training in Banbury, before becoming involved with the Littlemore Hospital gardening project at Elder Stubbs allotments, which evolved into the Restore project and helps people recovering from mental illness to find work.

Now he aims to cross the gap between receiving benefits and earning money, and to help others do the same, by offering gardening services to Oxford residents, businesses and local authorities, along with co-directors Paul Davies and Carl Roffey.

He is working with the help of such agencies as Business Link, East Oxford Action, Restore, social enterprise organisation Co-operative Futures, and small business support body Oxford Business Enterprises, to plan the new business which is due to start in the spring.

Richard Snow, of Co-operative Futures said: "It is important fledgling businesses such as Aardvark Gardeners' Co-operative continue to receive specialised advice and support.

"Given that support, there is a real opportunity to create employment for people at a distinct disadvantage in society, who otherwise see no alternative to a life without work or reward."

Co-operative Futures and Restore will continue to support Aardvark in the early stages and will help to seek funding to employ a full-time project manager who will manage the administration and communications side of the business.

Contact: Richard Snow at Co-operative Futures, 01865 726521