A collaborative of local designers and makers that create and sell our products on our High Street in Ashford, we had no idea that we were Social Entrepreneurs until we were exposed!
It is Social Saturday on Sat 13th October which we wouldn’t be celebrating because we didn’t know that we were a social enterprise until a customer/friend from rural kent let us know that we were. But we are celebrating our first social Saturday (thank you friend) because we are a social enterprise!
Made in Ashford currently sells the products of 50 small businesses. It provides an affordable platform to sell on Ashford’s high street but we are more than just a shop. Our true value to our community is still being realised and I am sure it will continue to evolve.
Many of our tenants are women, mums particularly. Working a 9-5 around children is not an easy thing and it certainly is expensive to juggle child care. By owning a small, creative business you can choose your hours (and like me right now) work when the kids are in bed! Many of us beaver away at home creating our incredible products but this can be a lonely place. But being part of Made in Ashford has brought together many of us and we have become friends providing a beautiful support network. This really helps those of us with mental health problems (us creatives do have a different way of thinking which makes us susceptible to mental health difficulties). We are a community.
We are the community. Our tenants are local, many Ashfordians but all Kentish. We live here in our town and know it and love it. Contributing to our local economy, being involved in local events, supporting local charities, sharing news, providing space for the community and attending everything we can to help our town. We nurture young creatives with our creation station. Listen to stories from our customers, providing some with companionship. We are trying to make a small impact on the plastic, pollution problem. We try to make our world better.
Pop by this Saturday and support a business that works so hard to support the community. We will also have free bracelet making, you can also have a chat to us about all of the amazing projects we are working on.For more info about social saturday and how you can get involved check out this link:
https://www.socialenterprise.org.uk/socialsaturday
