Tag:

patchwork party

Nice biscuit at Patchwork launch party
Patchwork PerspectivePatchwork Story

The New Business Shower that launched Patchwork

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

When we started Patchwork we didn’t do it alone. We did it with help from colleagues, friends and family. Which is what Patchwork is all about so it felt totally natural and right. And it now feels right to be helping others do the same with a Patchwork New Business Shower.

Back then, when I needed to raise funds, I did it through an off-line, real world crowdfund. This money came from people who were professional peers. They were people who loved and supported the idea of Patchwork, had a bit of money in the bank getting no interest and were happy to invest in exchange for equity in the business. Using the EIS scheme to invest was reassuring as their money was in part protected by the government and their investment could be offset in their tax bill.

Patchwork didn’t exist at that point (obviously) so the evening I presented my idea to a room of 35 potential investors. I had a site mock up, a pitch deck and a breakdown of how the money we needed to be raised would be used. I literally created a ‘patchwork’ of images to represent everything including a front end and back end developer (complete with cheeky bum pic).

At the time the visualisation was just for fun. Patchwork is not a crowdfunding platform like Seedrs or CrowdCube. Those platforms are designed for people to invest funds in exchange for equity. Patchwork was and is designed to enable people to collectively contribute towards gifts and experiences to celebrate special occasions. However, I did use the Patchwork principle to bring to life my new business dream visually for everyone to see. This helped me to raise funds and in doing so helped me prove the power of the Patchwork concept in practice.

Putting our principles in to practice

Fast forward a few months (ok a lot of months) and we were nearly ready to launch. We had found a studio space in Brockley. It was a shop that had been empty for 8 months, was super cheap rent (at the time) and getting the keys coincided with my birthday. So of course we decided to have a party.

Whilst most of my friends and family were not in a position to be official investors in Patchwork they were all super supportive, excited for our imminent launch and really wanted to do whatever they could to help. So when people started asking what I wanted for my birthday, instead of suggesting a few books and my favourite body lotion, I put together a plan that again allowed us to put our Patchwork principles into practice.

The site wasn’t quite ready in advance. And at the time it was designed only to allow people to contribute cash gifts. But in a weird premonition of how Patchwork would evolve I suggested people do one of three things.

  • Buy booze for my birthday/business party
  • Bring something useful for our new office – some stolen stationery, unwanted crockery, a second hand printer or spare chair.
  • Offer their time and or skills to help paint or put up shelves in the studio or bring a dish or promise to DJ at the launch party.

A very Patchwork party

Everyone came to my birthday / new business party. But they didn’t just attend. They were active participants in the launch of our company! Our whole office was kitted out with second hand stuff gifted by friends, family and our new Brockley neighbours.

We had Will from the Mystery Jets sing with our sister Sophie, powered by bikes borrowed from our friend Colin at Electric Pedals. And also Ben from Power The Fight DJ, Alice and Julie to help make our signage and huge shapes for the window. Then Janie from Baked Salt making amazing food and Naomi came to take photos of the evening.

In 2015 we launched Patchwork with the ability not just to gift cash but to contribute time and skills, and today the site is being used not just to organise and fund DIY weddings, birthday parties and baby showers, but since lockdown we’ve seen a new idea emerging… new business SHOWERS!

Of course to us it’s an old idea. It’s THE idea that got us started.

Celebrate and support with Patchwork

It’s a story we’ve told but until now it’s not an idea we’ve promoted. But the current global pandemic has changed things. Whether it’s redundancies causing people to find alternative careers or furlough giving people the time and space to dream about starting something new. We’re seeing more people starting new businesses from their kitchen tables and of course we’re here to help!

Patchwork is not and will never be about equity fundraising from strangers. We recommend Seedrs for people looking to raise serious funds with all the legals tied up. We’re here to do what we do best – to help friends, families, communities and networks to come together to celebrate and support each other by gifting their cash, time and skills.

Want your own new business shower?

If you’ve got an idea for a business but need some help taking those first steps. Patchwork is the perfect way to share your idea with your community and show them the ways they can help. Because with Patchwork you can share ideas for things people can fund, make and do. It means everyone can contribute in some small way – and together make something amazing happen!

You might ask people to contribute money towards a training course, you might need specific advice from an expert, a helping hand with some DIY or some secondhand stuff! Whatever you need, you can create a totally personalised patchwork from scratch. Then share it with your community to start receiving funds, offers of help and practical support. If you’re looking for inspiration we’ve even got some readymade templates for you to customise. Just head to our New Business Shower collection page.

So that’s it. If you’re not planning a wedding or baby shower but are thinking about starting a brand new baby business, we’re here to help make it happen – with a little help from your friends. If you need any reassurance that it can work, look no further than our story. We are the proof! It’s how we got where we are and how we’re now able to help you too.

Big love and power to you. Liv and Team Patchwork.

Questions? Drop us a line at [email protected]

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Bring the party to the protest What about Weddings campaign patchwork
Patchwork Perspective

What About Weddings? All We Need is Love… and Money.

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Almost a year ago weddings were wiped off our calendars. A year in which couples’ dreams have been devastated and their plans postponed. A year in which wedding businesses have been strangled by uncertainty. The never ending changes to government guidelines and, worst of all, a complete absence of financial support. On 22nd February Boris Johnson is due to announce his ‘roadmap’ to unlocking the restrictions. The restrictions that have seen our industry and our couples reach breaking point. The What about Weddings campaign exists to make sure our voices are heard and our businesses can survive. As an industry made up of dedicated, resilient, hardworking, and creative people we  have survived to this point.

Now we need clarity, a plan to re-open safely, and in a commercially viable way. And most importantly, until this can happen, we need financial support.

Bringing the party to the protest

At Patchwork we know that the best – and most successful protests – are those that involve a party. It’s what we do best after all, and to say we’ve missed them is a HUGE understatement.

We are really proud to be supporting the What about Weddings campaign. We’re organising a party protest, where everyone’s invited to have their say. By bringing together a patchwork of people from all areas of the wedding industry to showcase their talent. In doing so, we will send our message loud and clear to Boris in a way that is celebratory, creative and fun – just like our weddings and our couples.

Wedding suppliers – how you can help

If you’re a cake maker, celebrant, florist, caterer, MUA, DJ, designer or you work in any of the numerous other areas that are dependent on weddings to operate – we need you! Let’s make our voices heard. Show our leaders that we are not going to be ignored or quietened.

Get your message across and get involved by using your creative talent. Head to the Patchwork party protest to pledge your support!

What’s the big idea(s)?

The campaign idea is to bring together a ‘patchwork’ of brilliant creatives. We need them to share their message as individuals, which when brought together create the tidal wave needed to bring our message to the forefront.

Therefore, if you’re a baker, can you design a cake with a message for Boris and share on Insta? If you’re a wedding stationer, can you design an invite to Boris to “show up and stand up” and send it to Downing Street? Are you a make-up artist? How about sharing a message on a mirror in lipstick, and tagging Boris (and us!) We need Florists to deliver a bunch to Downing Street with a note to Boris asking for support. Any creative ideas welcome – just as much noise, colour and fun as you can muster.

Finally, please share, share share as much as you can before the 22nd February. Now is the time to play our part. We’ve been ignored for too long. Let’s get the message out far and wide.

Couples – how you can help

Have you have been personally affected by the restrictions to weddings over the past year? Or do you want to support a friend who has? You can support the social media campaign by liking, sharing and commenting on posts so that the message can be spread further. And please use your own social media presence by posting about the What About Weddings campaign using the hashtag #whataboutweddings. Tell your own story; share others’ stories and don’t forget to tag @whataboutweddingsofficial @borisjohnsonuk @patchwork_it so that your message gets heard loudly and shared widely.

Couples and their friends and families can also help by signing the open letter to Boris Johnson. And of course you can get creative too and bake a cake, design an invite, or send some flowers to Downing Street. All with your message to say “What about Weddings?” Visit the What About Wedding patchwork and pledge your support, or make a small donation to the campaign.

Thank you

Thank you so, so much for your incredible support in standing up for weddings. We know there is so much going on right now for all of us, and so many demands and stresses on us all. Being part of this campaign makes all of our voices stronger and together we can make a difference to our fellow suppliers and the couples who so desperately need to be able to plan their wedding day, safely and with our expertise and support.

Additional resources:

What about Weddings Campaign: Instagram: @whataboutweddingsofficial | Twitter: @WAWofficialUK | Hashtags: #whataboutweddings #standupforweddings

Stand up for Weddings Patchwork: Instagram: @patchwork_it | Twitter: @Patchworkit

MP’s Instagram Tags:
@scullyps @borisjohnsonuk @rishisunakmp @aloksharmardg @ed_miliband @lucympowell @drrosena @keirstarmer

MP’s Twitter Tags:
@YasminQureshiMP @hammersmithandy @BorisJohnson @RishiSunak @scullyp @AlokSharma_RDG @Ed_Miliband @LucyMPowell @DrRosena @Keir_Starmer @AnnelieseDodds @sarahjolney1

Journalists/Broadcasters Twitter Tags:
@ForgottenLtd @excludeduk @mrjamesob @tnewtondunn @SophyRidgeSky @DanielHewittITV @catherinehwyatt @juliafinch @michaelsavage @ayeshahazarika @bethrigby @bbclaurak @cathynewman

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Party Planning

How to Throw the Best Lockdown Birthday Party

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Despite the Coronavirus pandemic, the world keeps turning, birthdays happen and we all still need to party, give gifts and show our love for friends and family. This is how to throw a fabulous party, lockdown-style.

Set your date and write your guest list

First you’ll need to check if all of your guests are available. Oh, actually, you don’t need to do this. It’s a lockdown. They are definitely all available. So, with your date set and your guest list ready, it’s time to plan the party. Whether your friend is a karaoke queen or a bake-off fan, you can plan a party that celebrates them and makes them feel special.

Zoom virtual birthday party
16th birthday camera

Choose your party theme and get friends and family to chip in

We’ve already had a few lockdown parties in the Patchwork team, and so we’ve set up a few templates to help you do the same. Vera’s birthday bake-off was a huge success. Everyone baked their own birthday cake, poured themselves a drink and joined a zoom call to sing happy birthday and watch her open her camera gift from us all. You can use Patchwork to ask guests to help with the party in different ways, from sending out party packs so that everyone can decorate their own space, to suggesting songs for the birthday playlist, and of course chipping in for a special gift.

Lockdown Karaoke party Patchwork in an iPad
birthday lockdown cake

Surprise them without leaving the house

For her birthday we surprised the lovely Ellie with an Abba themed virtual Karaoke party. Her friends sang Dancing Queen, showered her with messages of lockdown love on her birthday patchwork and she had her very own Karaoke machine delivered to her door by Lucky Voice. Everyone chipped in a little bit for the gift, and put in their song requests for Ellie to sing. It really made her smile. And no-one had to leave their house!

Zoom virtual birthday party

Get really organised and book a party host

Group calls on Zoom and House Party can be chaotic, so if you want your party to be stress-free and fun, we highly recommend booking a host (celebrant) to oversee things and ensure everyone gets a turn on the mic! Our friend and celebrant Zena Birch is the absolute best and will make sure that things feel relaxed and natural, but are actually carefully thought through and planned.

Planning your own party during lockdown?

Get in touch, we’d love to help! Whether it’s a virtual party you’re planning, or you need some inspiration for the perfect lockdown gift, we’ve got loads of ideas and are always happy to chat. All of our party templates are completely free to use. A 3.6% commission is taken on cash gifts collected through your patchwork. You can read more about our team here and about our fees here.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Party Planning

Halloween DIY Ideas

by Ismay Ozga
written by Ismay Ozga

If Christmas is the most magical time of the year, Halloween is the silliest. And that’s why we love it. It’s a brilliant excuse to get all dressed up and eat a couple (okay loads) of sweets. It’s also a great opportunity to get crafty, so if you fancy trying your hand at a fun DIY, read on for some inspiration. Here’s a round-up of our favourite Halloween DIY ideas from around the internet:

Mr Printables is a fantastic source of free, creative printables, so all you’ll need for these is a paper, a printer, and some glue. Easy peasy. These masks are perfect for little kids who aren’t into super scary costumes.

halloween DIY ideas

If you’re throwing a halloween party this DIY is perfect for decorating your table – head to The House That Lars Built to find out how you can make this spooky spiderweb tablecloth.

halloween DIY ideas

Make these costumes for your little ones and be the coolest parent ever. These halloween ideas from Oh Happy Day are way more fun than your average witch. Rocket Astronaut + Disco Ball.

Your halloween colour scheme doesn’t have to be all black and orange, brighten things up with these gorgeous ghosts.

halloween DIY ideas

These abstract painted pumpkins are beautiful and perfect for lazy carvers. They’re a lot quicker to do if you want to decorate in a hurry, and they don’t create half as much mess.

We love pom-poms! They’re fun, easy to make and so cute. These little pumpkin pom-poms are perfect for popping around the house at a party.

If you’re throwing a halloween party this year, why not make a patchwork to let everyone know the plan. Ask friends to bring a treat, add to the playlist, or help you decorate, then keep track of who’s doing what in your account. See our template party patchworks here or create your own from scratch.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
patchwork colourful party ideas
Party Planning

Colourful Party DIY Ideas

by Ismay Ozga
written by Ismay Ozga

We love parties. We love birthday parties, hen parties, wedding parties, even ‘I’m having a party because I feel like it’ parties. Especially those parties. And when it comes to party decoration ideas, we’re all about colour. You can see evidence of our colour love over on our Instagram.
We think the best (and cheapest) way to decorate for a party is to get all of your friends involved and DIY-ing. DIY doesn’t mean you have to do it all yourself. In fact we prefer to DIT. Do It Together. Hey, you could even throw a ‘let’s make decorations for the party’ party.
We’ve chosen 4 colourful DIY party decoration ideas from around the web that we think would look great at any party.

A clever party decorating idea for a centrepiece – if you don’t fancy having flowers on your table, try this instead.

Hang this super colourful hanging vine garland over a focal point in the room – the cake table is a good idea.

This DIY dipped newspaper garland is really unique and would look great at a baby shower. Get everyone to bring a paper and some paint, and get making.

There’s very little DIY involved in this one, but hanging lots of colourful streamers across the ceiling in a big space will have a massive impact. All it takes is a little patience and lots of hands.
Party planning can be stressful, so delegating tasks and getting friends and family involved is a brilliant way of managing it all. If you’re planning a party and want to ask for help, just make a patchwork to show them what you need. Then they can help with the party decorating ideas, making the cake, planning the playlists, and whatever else it is that needs to be done. Send the link out and they can pledge to do their bit, and you can keep track of who’s doing what.

Get some inspiration from our readymade, customisable party patchworks. Or create your own from scratch.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
patchwork party balloons
Party PlanningPatchwork Perspective

A Patchwork Party

by Ismay Ozga
written by Ismay Ozga

We celebrated the launch of our new site with a party in Hoxton. We sent out a Patchwork style invitation, asking friends to bring a bottle, do the DJing, and help make decorations. It worked. Everyone chipped in and we had a brilliant night. Huge thanks to all of those involved.

Big thanks to Graze for the tasty snacks. They may not sound it but protein flapjacks are amazing. Thank you to Diageo, Brockley Brewery, Beerbods, and Naked Wines for the brilliant selection of booze that flowed all night. A HUGE thanks to Susie at Little Top who created the most beautiful children’s area and kept the kids entertained all night. Thank you so much to innocent for supplying the juice that quenched the kids’ thirst after all that playing. Thanks to Belen and Holly who helped us make the decorations. Thank you to the brilliant South East Cakery for the perfectly Patchwork cake, and the most insane brownies we’ve ever tasted. And we’ve tasted a few. Thank you to One Flew Over for the beautiful flowers. A massive thank you to the Wedding Smashers and our mate Ben Lindsay who kept the crowd dancing all night long. And thank you to Naomi who took these lovely photos.

0 comment
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Load More Posts  
div>