Independent shop gains recognition

An independent shop in Ashford has been highlighted in a national report of how to help boost our struggling high streets.

The Made in Ashford store in Park Mall was one of six UK businesses highlighted in a new report by the London School of Economics.

A collaborative of local arts and crafts people, it is run by Craftship Enterprise CIC, a social enterprise which aims to help support and nurture small creative businesses by giving them an affordable platform on the high street to showcase and sell their products.

Commissioned by independent trust Power to Change, which supports community business in the county, the report looks at how community outlets can help revive the flagging fortunes of traditional retail centres.

Entitled Saving the High Street: The Community Takeover, the report identifies that sites run by local people for local people brings a “stability” to the high street - unlike more “remote” corporate businesses which, it says, are more inclined to pull out of areas when business models stop working.

Made in Ashford delivers community-based craft and creativity activities that bosses say has been successful in attracting new people to Ashford’s town centre.

In turn, this has brought benefits to other local businesses and has supported the town’s regeneration.

The business is also successfully incubating other small enterprises and new high street businesses.

It started in 2015 as a threemonth ‘pop-up’ store in one of the shopping centre’s empty stores and has proved a success ever since.

The outlet’s Melissa Dawkins added: “Our aim is to give small creative businesses an affordable platform on the high street where they can showcase and sell their products. Made in Ashford began life as a pop-up shop, and with the ongoing support of ABC, we’ve become a permanent fixture on our high street, promoting and supporting creative businesses and art-based activities for the community.”