The Kiwi Fruit is Cute crowdfunder has been launched by a Cheltenham crafting shop to raise £5,000 after a forced relocation sent its overheads soaring, leaving its three founders subsidising the business from their own pockets.
The shop, based in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, hosts community drop-in sessions and charity events, and has built a following through its Make & Mingle gatherings, where people travel from across the area to knit, sew or craft together in a group setting rather than alone at home.
A move that changed everything
The Kiwi Fruit is Cute opened in August 2024, according to a Reddit thread on the Cheltenham community board. Earlier this year, the shop’s previous home at Cavendish House closed, forcing the business to relocate. The shop moved to Lower High Street, with the Reddit thread indicating the new address is Normandy House. The founders say the move has caused their overheads to double.
Siobhan Westmacott, one of the shop’s founders, told BBC Gloucestershire: ‘We are really in the position of trying really hard to make sure things can keep going month on month.’
She added: ‘We are working other jobs and don’t take a wage from the business at all, we put everything back in. We are personally pushing our own finances into it to try and keep things going. As much as the business is growing… it is a real struggle at the moment. We are in a difficult period.’
What the Kiwi Fruit is Cute crowdfunder is for
The Crowdfunder campaign, which has a target of £5,000, is intended to cover immediate practical needs. The owners say the money will go towards a core restock order, filling gaps on the shelves, and giving the shop some breathing room while sales continue to build. ‘It is for the practical stuff that keeps the doors open,’ their campaign page states.
Westmacott was clear about what the fundraiser is ultimately protecting: ‘This is so we keep open and keep things inclusive and affordable.’
The shop was founded by Westmacott alongside Samantha Potter and Zarina Ismail. Potter said: ‘We’ve been best friends for well over five years. We don’t want to give up, we want to keep making this work.’
The name itself comes from an old email address belonging to Westmacott, giving the shop an identity that is as personal as its mission.
Charities also use space inside the shop for their own projects. Oscar’s Community Corner is among those that have taken advantage of the arrangement. The Make & Mingle sessions serve a similar social purpose, drawing people who want the company and motivation of crafting alongside others rather than working through projects at home.
The shop also has a charity application pending, though the founders say this is expected to take several months to process, meaning the crowdfunder is the more immediate lifeline.
The rising cost of running a small independent business in the UK has squeezed many similar community-focused shops in recent years, and the situation at The Kiwi Fruit is Cute reflects a pressure felt widely across the sector. For now, the founders are asking the public to help them reach their £5,000 target so the doors can stay open and the community that has built up around the shop can continue to meet.
