Mother and daughter team secure funding with the help of our charity donations to Purple Shoots. Jo has always had a passion for crafts and after a career as a community support worker for the local council she decided the time was right to take the plunge into a new adventure. Jo used the later Covid lockdown to trial a pop up craft shop in partnership with her stepdaughter Rebeckah, who like Jo, also has a passion for arts & crafts.
After a successful trial, Jo and Rebeckah became co-owners when they incorporated their limited company R & J Sunflower Designs Ltd. The trial pop-up gave them the opportunity to consider exactly what they wanted the company to provide going forward. For example, they discovered they would needed more space & needed to find bigger premises. They decided to compliment a café with craft sales along with a workshop space to manufacture their own crafts. This would enable them to teach crafts in a café environment and hosts create groups.
Rebeckah studies art at Bridgend College and creates her own hand paintings. She loves the vintage, rustic & shabby chic look to crafts. Jo love to sew, knit and crochet. She has been making greetings cards for over 15 years and making jewellery for 12.
Delighted to find an empty shop on Norton Street, in their home town of Bridgend, Jo and Rebeckah have embarked on renovations. The first phase is to open the Sunflower Café where they plan to serve breakfast & light lunches, and then begin selling some of their handmade crafts & rustic home décor, greetings cards and gifts. Doors opened only a few weeks ago in September before which the two owners were selling through their Facebook account. The next phase of the opening will see the opening of the workshop and, given their previous community work, an improvement for access and availability for people with disabilities.
Jo and Rebeckah were unable to secure a traditional finance support and without the funds to go ahead and carry out all the pre-opening works their business plan almost came unstuck. However, Jo was able to secure a small grant from the local council in Bridgend and her Purple Shoots loan application was accepted. This has enabled them to take on the bigger premises and really get the business off the ground.
Jo and Rebeckah can be found at https://www.facebook.com/RandJSunflowerDesigns and at 57 Nolton Street, Bridgend.
Duport supports Purple Shoots by portioning part of our monthly profits to be used as loans for entrepreneurs.
