Lunchtime Meeting - 12.45pm - Speaker from CHALK CIC Oswestry

A group of business women who aim to “replenish” an Oswestry street have launched a community interest company

Chalk CIC, a business where all of the profits will be used to fund community projects, opened on Leg Street in the former Pooh Corner womenswear shop in May 2015.

The four women behind the unique idea, Gemma Cassin, Liz Williams, Marcia Meredith and Wendy Keats, each have their own skill sets which they will bring to the company.
 
Ms Williams said: “The idea is to bring projects together and make Oswestry a happier and friendlier place – it’s non-institutional.”
 
The company is based around the main shop where bespoke furniture, textiles and vintage clothes will be sold at regular prices, but all of the profits will fund a number of community projects the women are involved with. Many of the projects will take place in the shop itself, such as ‘Match’ and ‘Academy’.
 
New businesses will have the opportunity to sell their own products at one of the four ‘pods’ situated in the Chalk store.
 
The owners will work at their pods twice a week and will receive business support from Miss Cassin.
 
“The idea is to match complimentary businesses together with the hope of supporting them into their own premises. We hear that the ‘high street’ is dying and this is a way to help replenish it,” she explained.
 
A business will be allowed up to six months in Chalk, which will be reviewed after three months to see if any changes need to be made.
 
Another aspect of the business will be workshops, both paid and free, where people will be taught skills such as furniture upcycling, upholstery and denim making.
 
There will also be Oswestry Open House and ‘alert’, where donated furniture that has been upcycled in Chalk will be provided to families who have been rehoused.
 
Miss Cassin said: “It’s very exciting and I can’t wait to start giving something back to the community. We’re going back to old-fashioned values where we want people to come in and just have a chat and a cup of tea if they want to.”

Oswestry Advertizer 6th May 2015