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 3rd 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.
