Onion Collective & Biohm

Onion Collective is a social enterprise working to tackle social, cultural and environmental injustice in their hometown of Watchet, on the English south coast. We deliver wide-reaching and ambitious regeneration projects that are holistic in nature, benefiting people and planet. We aim to create purposeful and interesting jobs, build local economic resilience, widen cultural engagement and enhance aspiration.

Onion Collective CIC was set up in 2013 when plans for a major development of flats on the marina quayside of our hometown in Watchet had just fallen through. Rather than witness more commercial development that had no community benefit, they realised that by pooling their skills and resources they could help empower the community to make the decisions about what developments take place themselves.

Following the devastating closure of the Wansbrough paper mill in 2015, Onion Collective is pursuing a new, circular and inclusive 21st Century industrial future for the town. This project will be delivered in a ground breaking partnership between a leading bio-tech company (Biohm), a community anchor organisation (Onion), and the Watchet community. It is conceived as a direct response to both the critical local economic context and the climate emergency.