Gather - Small Business Saturday

Fiona Bruce MP and Gather of Cheshire promote Small Business Saturday

Fiona Bruce MP visited Gather of Cheshire in Congleton in advance of this year’s Small Business Saturday on 3^rd December.

Small Business Saturday has been held in the UK every year since 2013 and aims to encourage shoppers to ‘shop local’ and promote their local small business. More information on how to participate can be found at smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com.

Fiona Bruce MP said “It was an absolute pleasure to visit Gather recently. This is such an eclectic and friendly business that really offers something no-one else is locally at the moment. It is run by a group of incredibly creative people and the way the business has evolved and grown since it opened a little over a year ago is remarkable. Gather is a shining example of a real community enterprise.”

Fiona continued “Every time I visit small, local shops such as Gather I am always impressed by the community minded nature of their business and employees, whether it be sourcing local products, helping residents home with their shopping or providing services such as a post office, parcel service or cash machine that may not otherwise be locally accessible. It is important that the Government realise the importance of small, independently run establishments to our economy, and our communities, and do all they can to help them prosper.”

Gather, which opened in September 2015, is a small business operating on the High Street in Congleton. It is a café, clothing and accessories store and also offers many workshops from photography, to sewing, to wreath making, as well as clothing alterations.

Jude James, owner of Gather said “It is really good to be a small business in Congleton. There is a real sense of community, we send business to other local shops and they do the same in turn. I wish more small businesses would come and trade in Congleton!  If you love what you do, as we do here, and embrace the town, the people of Congleton will embrace you. We want people to come here and feel comfortable and involved. If people can see what is on offer in the town then hopefully they will look to shop here before going out of town.”

Gather sources its products locally whether it be coffee, cakes, or the local Congleton born owners of the Cheshire Mersey Wine School who do tasting evenings.

They also offer children’s birthday parties with a high tea and craft activity – though these can be tailored to adults too!

For more information about Gather and their workshops they can be found on Facebook, and followed on Instagram and Twitter.

Fiona Bruce MP hosts visit from former Leading Canadian MP Joy Smith

Fiona Bruce MP hosts visit from former Leading Canadian MP Joy Smith

Fiona Bruce MP hosted a visit to the UK from former Canadian MP Joy Smith, to discuss ways in which the UK might learn from Canada to address the issue of prostitution. Fiona hosted a number of meetings with MPs from a variety of political parties to consider what steps can be taken, learning from Canada’s example to help protect young women in the UK – often in their early teens - from being abused by being drawn into a life on the streets as prostitutes.

In 2014, under the leadership of then MP Joy Smith, Canadian MPs took legislation through their Parliament making it an offence to pay for sex, but wholly decriminalising the women involved as prostitutes. This followed similar laws in Sweden and Norway about which Fiona Bruce has spoken in Parliament. Northern Ireland and France have now followed suit.

Fiona Bruce MP said

“Clear evidence from Sweden and Norway, and now Canada, shows that tackling prostitution as those countries have done, in a way which is compassionate towards the women involved and which treats them not as criminals but as victims and abused, has shown changing the law as they have done not only helps reduce prostitution, but also in its wake, human trafficking.”

Fiona Bruce MP is a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Prostitution and the Global Sex Trade which produce a report, ‘Shifting the Burden’. This made clear that while the law does not have the capacity to end prostitution, better laws can limit, as far as possible, the extent of prostitution and the suffering associated with it, and any meaningful attempt to do this should address the demand for paid for sex directly.

Fiona Continued

“Although it is early days in Canada, initial indications there are that where enforced this new legislation is having a positive impact, as in Sweden and Norway where such laws have been in place much longer, as I spoke about in Parliament some time ago. In Canada now, they are seeing a reduction in the levels of both prostitution and trafficking, and if the UK is not to fall behind international best practice in this field, then reviewing our laws in this area should not be delayed any longer.”