Member Article

Knowsley retailer opens its doors to the public

Grace Lea, the winning business of North West investment enterprise One Ark’s competition to secure a rent-free shop for a year, has opened at Prescot Shopping Centre.

The event was the first official engagement for the newly incumbent Mayor of Knowsley, Councillor Frank Walsh. He was joined by George Howarth, MP for Knowsley, to cut the ribbon and declare open for business the shop, which will sell a range of high quality restored vintage furniture and bespoke items at affordable prices.

Following the ceremony and speeches, the crowd was entertained by a troop of dancers, face painters and local indie pop band The Ambition.

Inside the shop Grace Lea’s owner, Cheryl Mullins, hosted a live upcycling workshop, which provided a taster of further classes she plans to run for members of the public.

Cheryl beat off competition from 25 other business owners to win the space in the shopping centre, courtesy of One Ark, part of the First Ark Group.

Alongside this, her business also received a full refurbishment by facilities management company Vivark and membership of Knowsley Chamber of Commerce. Cheryl is also benefitting from mentoring activity from the Merseyside Special Investment Fund, The Women’s Organisation and Knowsley Council.

Executive director at One Ark, Ian Thomson, said: “It’s great to see a unique, independent retailer opening, when all too often we hear of businesses both small and large exiting the high street. We’re confident that thanks to Cheryl’s drive and determination, Grace Lea will become a successful fixture in Prescot Shopping Centre.

“The ‘Win a Shop’ competition is just one way in which we’re working to provide tangible employment opportunities and social impact in Knowsley, helping to boost businesses and offer quality opportunities to residents and budding entrepreneurs. Thank you to all our partners who have come together to make this possible.”

One Ark’s Laura McCumiskey, said: “We are delighted to see this innovative project result in a unique and exciting addition to the Prescot retail offer. Grace Lea offers something really different and with the support of the project team and other local retailers the shop looks sure to have a bright future.”

The shop saw a great first day of trading, with locals flocking to the newly opened store to see Cheryl’s creations first hand.

Customers were especially interested in the upcycling workshops, which begin in two weeks’ time and offer the chance to learn the skills necessary for people to renovate smaller items of furniture themselves without professional help.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .