Background
The Sewing Rooms are on a social mission to bring about change through trade. Providing workshops and sewing and manufacturing services to private and corporate clients, they reinvest the money they make into the communities around Skelmersdale.
Investment
Having secured contracts with large businesses,The Sewing Rooms wanted to continue this expansion even further. New premises, equipment and additional staff would help develop the commercial manufacturing arm of the business. The blended finance offered by Livv Investment would enable them to take that next step, ensuring sustainability and increasing income to deliver more skills and employment training to local people through their own Sew Fab Academy. was needed from Livv Investment for equipment, marketing and working capital to grow the manufacturing arm of the business.
Our dedicated investment team guided The Sewing Rooms through their application, helping them to overcome any challenges that arose during the process. Their application was a success and a grant of £30,000 was approved to cover marketing costs over the first year, including a major upgrade of the website to open them up to online sales. A loan of £90,000 was also approved to buy new equipment to manage the increase in commercial work- two large bespoke cutting tables for curtain manufacture and industrial sewing and embroidery machines. The remainder of the loan finance would provide working capital to cover new salaries, facilitate a move to larger premises and temporarily support with rent/rates and utilities.
We’ve had challenges on our funding journey but the support we’ve received from Livv Investment has been brilliant – investment has really given us the tools to grow and make an even bigger impact in our communities!