A SWEF enterprise grant from Dorset Community Foundation helped talented artist Anna Stoodley shape her pottery workshops business.
The 29-year-old, from Weymouth, had launched her Pots N Pints workshops in a pub just as hospitality was re-opening after Covid and the £1,200 grant helped her scale up to take advantage of their growing popularity.
The SWEF Enterprise and Business Fund helps young people aged 18 to 30 who are running or about to start their own business with costs such as tools, stock and rent.
Anna had been studying a master’s degree at university in Brighton and working at a ceramic studio when Covid hit, which led to her moving back home to be closer to family – and avoid the rising cost of living in Brighton. Her parents helped her build a garden studio of her own but as the lockdown eased she began to look for ways to reach out into her community using the material she knew best – clay.
“There were a lot of creative workshops on offer in Brighton, yet nothing in Weymouth when I was growing up so I wanted to bring some of that creativity home with me,” she said. “I wanted it to appeal to everyone and be completely beginner friendly. I know some people may have never touched clay before.”
She persuaded Lyn Mackenzie, landlady of The Belvedere in Weymouth, to trial a night were participants paid a fee for a drink and a workshop, making clay pots and other creations. It was so successful she started running them regularly.
“People love getting up and then seeing what everybody else is doing and kind of getting chatting. And the amount of people who said like, I’ve made whole friendship groups just by coming to Pots N Pints, which is lovely,” she said.
I think the biggest thing it did for me was having those conversations and looking at my business and realising that if I prioritised making a profit I could actually make a good income
As the workshops grew in popularity she began getting more requests but her limited start-up capital meant her equipment was wearing out. “I needed to replace all my tools and for me to be able to offer more specialist workshops, I needed additional tools,” she said.
She heard about the SWEF grants through a friend and applied. She said filling in the application, although straightforward, made her think about her business. “It was really nice to be able to look at the workshops more as a business rather than something I just did on the side,” she said.
After a video interview with SWEF grant panel members, and being told she’d been accepted for the grant, she found she had even more faith in her plan. “It gave me a lot more confidence, for sure,” she said. “I’m really grateful for the grant and the money definitely helped. But I think the biggest thing it did for me was having those conversations and looking at my business and realising that if I prioritised making a profit I could actually make a good income.
“The feedback everybody was giving me also gave me lots of confidence that I was actually doing something that was worthwhile.”
Anna is now running regular pop-up pottery workshops in pubs, community centres, youth clubs and more, both as public events and private workshops with the aim to reach as many in the community as possible. She is excited about balancing the demand for her workshops with her own creative ambitions.
She said: “I love running Pots N Pints but I also want to work on my own ceramic practice as well and I’m looking forward to sharing more on that in the future.”
Find out more about SWEF grants, eligibility and how to apply here and learn more about Anna’s business a here, or search for Pots N Pints on Facebook and Instagram.
Pictured: Anna Stoodley, centre, at one of the Pots N Pints pottery nights
