Remember Haychley Webb of Stellabox Designs? Here she explains how she’s just started a new community group called Small Biz Mates, who meet once a month at various green spaces and parks around Norwich – to help everyone’s mental health and make new connections
Thanks for having me back Folk Features! Stellabox Designs has been going well since we last spoke. I’ve been hard at work on many new linocut prints and taking part in events around the county. I recently did demonstrations at the Norfolk Makers Festival at The Forum; my first time there and I helped over 150 children pull their first linocut print! I’m still regularly teaching linocut workshops for beginners and currently running one or two workshops a month; I’ve taught nearly 50 people so far this year which has been incredible.
If you’d like to join me at a workshop or have a look at my prints, the best place is my website and I’m very active on Instagram and Facebook too, where I love to make videos showing my printmaking process. I recently did an interview on ITV Anglia about the rising energy cost impacts on small businesses and took the opportunity to talk about how small businesses need better mental health support too. They didn’t air that bit though sadly but after the interview it got me thinking about what I could do to change that situation and thus Small Biz Mates was born.
The idea behind Small Biz Mates is to give local small business owners the chance to meet up once or twice a month at rotating green spaces and parks around Norwich. It can be quite isolating running your own small business, so the group hopes to be as welcoming and inclusive as possible for people at all stages of their small business journey. It’s a great chance to get some fresh air and chat about the ups and downs of small business life – and life in general! It’s free to attend and you don’t need to let anyone know you’re coming, just turn up. There’s no commitment to attend them all either, we’re here if you need us. It can be quite intimidating going to formal networking events to meet new people but hopefully in a setting like this everyone will feel welcome.
The best way to keep up to date with when the walks are is by following us on Instagram or in our Facebook group, just search Small Biz Mates.
Our first Small Biz Mates meeting earlier this month was lovely. It was just what I hoped it would be; new people meeting for the first time and swapping details and three long laps of the park (in the sunshine which was a big bonus). There was only a handful of us for the first meeting, but I now know most folks prefer weekdays as weekends are for family time they’ve said. Small Biz Mates will meet once or twice a month all year round, come rain or shine. We hope you can join us sometime!
The next meet-up for Small Biz Mates is Friday May 13, at 10am, at Catton Park (meeting at main car park next to Buxton Lodge). For more dates, visit Small Biz Mates.
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