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a globe on a light pink sunset background. The globe is 50% planet earth and 50% disco ball and has the numbers 50 50 across it
Patchwork PerspectivePatchwork Story

The gift registry that gives back to the planet.

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Patchwork Gift Registry was built to bring joy, reduce waste and make gift giving meaningful and we’ve loved helping over 120,000 of you celebrate together since we launched in 2016.

We feel really good about what we’ve achieved so far as an independent, woman-led business. But in 2022 it’s time to do more. The urgency of the climate crisis, together with the fact that we still have time (just) to make an impact, means an exciting new chapter, and challenge, for Patchwork.

From now, we are going 50/50, split down the middle (yes HALF and HALF) with planet earth. For every single penny we take as platform fees, we give half to environmental charities. Not 1% of profits, not greenwashing, tree planting or vague promises. A rock solid, no-messing, 50% of all fee revenue going directly to environmental organisations that are fighting for the future of our beautiful home planet.

images of nature and images of parties with words "party for the planet" flashing on centre of images in neon yellow

Party for the planet.

At Patchwork, we love parties, and we want to have a planet to party on forever. So now, whatever you use Patchwork to celebrate you’ll be helping keep our planet in better shape for future party people. Whether you’re celebrating a wedding, a baby shower, a big birthday, a new business or anything else you can think of it’s a total win / win. You get to organise the best present or party ever, and enjoy getting friends together to help you with all the things you really want and need. And you can feel good knowing you’re giving back to the planet at the same time. This really is the gift that keeps on giving.

Image of a forest from above with words '50/50 - Patchwork gives 50% of our fees to environmental charities' three charity logos are underneath: Friends of the Earth, Survival International and Client Earth.

Who we support.

We’ve been working on our new business model in secret for a while now, and a big part of the process was deciding which environmental charities we wanted to partner with. We couldn’t be happier, prouder or more excited to be partnering with three absolutely amazing organisations:

ClientEarth – using the power of law to hold corporations and governments to account and drive systemic change to protect the planet and all that inhabit it.

Friends of the Earth – combining environmental research and public awareness campaigns to put pressure on governments to commit to genuine climate action.

Survival International – working with Indigenous peoples to defend human rights, protect sacred land and share wisdom from the ‘world’s best conservationists’ about how to live in harmony with nature.

Their commitment and dedication to planet earth and all its inhabitants are inspirational. The successes that they’ve had to date are also hugely motivating for us, and we hope for you too.

So from now, every time someone signs up to use Patchwork for a present, a project or a party, 50% of our platform fee will go direct to one of these three charities.

It’s not the least we can do – it’s the MOST we can do; and we’re doing it.

clouds with sunlight reflecting on them and the words It's the most we can do. the word 'least' is before the word 'most' but is crossed out

Two ways to pay – two ways to protect our home planet.

There are two simple payment options when you use Patchwork for any occasion. The first option is our single one-off fee of £50 (£25 of which goes directly to the charity of your choice). This option is best suited if you’re using Patchwork for a honeymoon fund or wedding registry and need a fairly long lead time of more than 8 months. It also means your charity of choice gets an upfront donation so your money can get to work straight away.

Our other option is a monthly subscription of just £6 per month with your first month free (£3 of that goes to your choice of charity every month). A subscription works best if your event has a shorter lead time or if you plan on using Patchwork on more than one occasion. It also means the charity of your choice gets a regular monthly donation to keep on doing the important work that’s needed.

Whichever you choose, you’ll not only be enjoying using the best registry / honeymoon fund / group gift platform in the world ever, you’ll also get that extra feel-good knowing your money is doing incredible things. Double joy.

small planet earth seen from space, in middle of starry sky, with small arrow pointing towards it and the words 'she's our boss' underneath

Don’t snatch, share

It’s one of Patchwork’s founding principles and the first piece of advice we were given as kids. And the motto our Nan taught us to live by: ‘Don’t snatch, share’.

Life is not about what we have, own or take; it’s about what we give, share and how we support one another. Both in the good times and the not so good times. It’s one of the things people love most about Patchwork, the way it brings people together, to pool resources and share talents. To allow people to give generously in a way that involves everyone, and excludes no-one. Where time and skill and love are valued as much or even more than monetary gifts. Using Patchwork not only makes everyone feel good, it means we can best use the resources we already have, consume waste less and protect our planet more.

changing images of people sharing things with words "Don't snatch share" on screen in neon yellow

Join us

One of the most unexpected and wonderful things we’ve experienced from a business point of view has been this sense of sharing, inclusion and generosity from our industry friends. Small businesses that have rallied round each other, stuck together and supported each other through the many ups and downs of the last few years. We know we are stronger when we work together and collaborate. As we move forwards and explore what business unusual might look like, we hope as many of our friends and colleagues will join and support us in doing ALL we can. The planet needs us to. We wouldn’t have got this far without their amazing support and we won’t be able to make this a success without your support.

So please share this news, spread the word and show your love, and together, we can make something really amazing happen – for all of us.

Follow us on Insta, sign up to our newsletter, or start celebrating with a Patchwork of your own!

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Women toasting with drinks in beer garden
Patchwork Perspective

How To Throw A New Business Shower

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

Patchwork was designed to make celebrating big life occasions fun, engaging, practical AND meaningful for all those involved. With the world of work constantly changing especially post Covid, more and more people are deciding to start their own small businesses or pivot existing ones. So we decided it was the perfect time to combine the two with our New Business Shower! Patchwork can help you launch and celebrate your new business idea with a little help from your family and friends.

A New Business Shower Patchwork in an iPad

What is a New Business Shower?

A New Business Shower is the perfect, FUN way to launch your new business idea. You share your plan with family and friends so that they can celebrate and support you as you start out on your journey. Life is full of milestones that we are used to sharing with family and friends. Whether it’s a big birthday, engagement or wedding, a new home or a new baby.

These are the times when people want to send their good wishes. Maybe wish to buy a gift, help out in a practical way or just share a celebratory drink or two. So we think it makes sense for the launch of a New Business to be included as a significant event too. Like having a baby or moving house, it’s a huge life event. It often bringing with it a change of lifestyle, a high level of excitement, stress and sometimes risk too.

It’s a time when we really value the network and community around us. Whether it’s for their words of wisdom, a specific skill, a donation of some second hand office equipment or a cash gift towards some new gear.

How can Patchwork help?

With a Patchwork New Business Shower you can let your family and friends know how best they can help you. Their well meaning actions can be channelled where they are most needed and appreciated! By creating a Pinterest board style “wish list” you can let everyone know what type of support or contributions are most welcomed. This ensures that resources and talents are put to good use.

With Patchwork you can collect cash contributions to spend on the things you’ll need to invest in for your new business. You can also ask for donations of items that people might have lying around. For example: spare kitchen or office supplies. Perhaps you know people who have expertise? They could share advice with you over a coffee – this can go on your Patchwork too!

Or perhaps you’ve got friends who have neither money or industry expertise. But they might be happy to watch the kids for a few hours. Or maybe even take the dogs for a walk to give you some much needed down-time.

Patchwork makes supporting you simple, convenient and inclusive. It can involve friends and family who are physically nearby and those who live overseas or who you can’t easily see face to face.

Two women looking and pointing at laptop

Who can throw a New Business Shower?

Absolutely anyone can. Firstly, Patchwork is completely free to set up and use for you and your supporters. We only make our money by charging a small 3% commission on cash gifts given via the site. If you are using your New Business Shower page to ask friends for non-financial favours or donations then Patchwork is completely free.

At Patchwork we recognise that people celebrate different occasions at different times and in different ways. Patchwork is for everybody no matter what, when, how and why they want to celebrate. A New Business Shower is a way of sharing your decision with your network. It’s marks the occasion with a celebration, and welcomes your business in to your life! Much like a baby shower in fact.

Woman wearing red top sitting and using sewing machine

What’s the difference between a New Business Shower and a crowdfund?

They are very, very different. A Patchwork New Business Shower isn’t for raising money from strangers or an equity deal. If you are looking for serious investment or funding for your business we would always recommend something like Seedrs or CrowdCube.

Our concept is about sharing your plans and acknowledging the challenges. It allows friends and family to celebrate and support you on your journey. People contributing to your New Business Shower are not looking for a return on their investment. Well, unless that return is you looking very happy with a huge smile on your face! They are contributing because they want to show their support. And in a way that is meaningful, memorable and fun, and best fits with your wishes and their resources.

black woman cutting vegetables on chopping board in kitchen

Is it awkward asking people to help?

For the reasons already mentioned above – no, not at all! If you send out an email with a request for cash then yes. But a New Business Shower is way of making the act of supporting you so much more than that. It’s bringing all the people that care about you together. Not just to help you with cash gifts (they’re great!) but also to recognise and celebrate the steps you are taking, and to share in the experience – the ups as well as the downs – with you.

The invite to your New Business Shower (whether it’s a real world physical party or a virtual event) is just that; an invitation, not an obligation. You’ll know instinctively the people who you’ll want to include. And they will be grateful to be given your guidance on how best they can help.

Finding a way of gifting that suits both the giver and the recipient is the Holy Grail – and this is it! When you include options in your Patchwork to suit everyone, people can gift you in the way that suits their own circumstances, time resources and budget.

Cleverly, a New Business Shower also acts as a sort of protective bubble for you. In letting people know explicitly what you do need and what you would appreciate, you are also letting them know what you don’t need and won’t appreciate. So you can bid farewell to the unsolicited business advice and multiple stationery sets!

Blank note paper with gold bulldog clip on table with vegetables laid out around

How does it work?

It’s easy! You can use one of our readymade New Business Shower templates or simply start your own page from scratch. Have a think about the kind of help you’d like, the things you need to fund or the skills you’d appreciate from your network.

For example if you’re starting a work from home business and need to set up a corner of your home for an office space you could include options for people to contribute £50 towards a new laptop, £5 to keep the biscuit tin topped up, or some of their time to help you put up some shelves.

When you’ve added all the patches you want to, just complete your personal and payment details. Then you can share your URL direct to friends and family. When they arrive at your page, people can see at a glance all the things that you’d appreciate help with. They can choose which things they’d like to fund, make or do to help make your new business a success.

If they choose to contribute a cash gift, money will be sent direct to you via PayPal or Stripe. If they are choosing to help you out with a pledge of their time or a donation of an item, they will simply be making a pledge via the page and you can follow up with them to arrange a time to suit!

Want to see how a New Business Shower worked in real life? Read the story of how Patchwork launched with a little help from our friends. If you’d like any tips or advice on setting up your Business Shower Patchwork please drop us a line at hello@patchworkit.com.

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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.

400,000 people out of work' banner on sequin backdrop by Vowed and Amazed

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.

Heart shaped cake with pink icing and words "What about Weddings" in icing letters

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!

Invite to Boris Johnson saying "Dear Boris, You're invited to show up x"

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.

Woman with black curly hair facing wall reading writing on wall saying "How will you a 'dress' the problem?"

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.

Pink wall hanging reading "All we need is love and money"

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

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NHS Xmas Card
Patchwork StorySchools and community

We Won’t Forget You – NHS Frontline Festive Thank You

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

As we turn our thoughts to thinking of others and sending gifts at Christmas time, there is a group of people who we all want to thank and show our appreciation of once again. Our NHS staff, our frontline workers who have put themselves in harms way to protect and serve us over the last 9 months. Together with our local businesses, friends and neighbours, Patchwork is supporting the Frontline Festive Thank You with the aim of delivering 100 festive gift bags to Lewisham hospital staff – can you chip in?

Lewisham hospital staff receiving their food packages during pandemic
Itohan, Ward Manager, receiving her food package back in the Spring

At the beginning of the Coronavirus pandemic and during the first national lockdown, Patchwork were approached by local businesses who wanted to do something practical and positive to look after those who were looking after us. So a Patchwork page was set up and within a week, local residents had generously donated over £5,000 to deliver food parcels to staff at Lewisham hospital. All items were sourced at cost by local businesses and packaged with love, then sent with messages of thanks to staff for all they have done to look after us all.

No words or thanks or front door step clapping will ever be enough to show our collective appreciation – but sometimes in small gestures that are local and direct, we can have a meaningful impact on the lives of those who might sometimes feel unnoticed, or unappreciated.

Frontline food packages being delivered to Lewisham hospital NHS staff
Gamal – the first recipient of a food parcel during the first lockdown in the Spring

Giving together means giving more

As we approach Christmas, the second appeal is underway, this time delivering gift bags to staff, with a few treats to say thank you – including a hand cream, panettone, Christmas decorations and chocolate.

The appeal has been hosted by Patchwork and we have happily donated our fee back to Frontline so that the gifts received go even further. All donations made via the Patchwork fundraising page go directly to Frontline Festive Thank You so that they can make sure they get as many gifts as possible to such deserving staff as those working at Lewisham hospital.

No-one is overlooked, everyone’s role is important

What’s special about this initiative is that each recipient is nominated by their managers and colleagues and even those whose jobs might usually be unnoticed and whose work often goes “unsung” get the appreciation they deserve. It’s really heartwarming to see the reactions of members of staff who are nominated to receive a gift bag. It means so much to them to know they are thought of by the people in their community who they serve daily.

The first recipient of a food package back in the Spring was Gamal who works to keep the hospital clean (now more important than ever!) and the second to Geraldine, a single mum who had just come off a 12 shift stint in ITU. You can hear from Rita, one of the Matrons what these gifts meant:

How you can help support our frontline workers this Christmas

Every small action, every person, and every group of committed volunteers will help. Over and over again at Patchwork, we see amazing people coming together to show that our community is our strength. The Frontline Festive Thank You page is now open for contributions. Whether it’s £3 for some chocolate, £15 for a whole box, or even just a note of support – everyone can chip in and together we will make a real difference to the nurses, doctors and all the other NHS support staff keeping us all safe over the Christmas period and always.

NHS staff outside Lewisham hospital receiving Festive Thank you gift bags for Christmas
Festive thank you gift bags - panettone, Christmas cracker, coffee and chocolate

If you have any other questions about the project you can contact us at hello@patchworkit.com. If you’d like to set up a Patchwork page to support a community project in your local area browse our easy to customise templates.

Finally, special thanks goes to all who have kindly donated and to the local businesses and volunteers who have worked so hard to bring the Frontline Festive Thank You project to life. You have brought much needed smiles, joy and some little luxuries to our wonderful NHS staff. Thanks especially to:

Tony at Provender Delicatessen

Shai at Mont58Coffee

Nilou at Jumping Bean London

Nena at Nena Foster Foods

Vicky at Fitness for Mummies

Heather at Heather Victoria Design

Thanks as well to Robert and Daniel at Sebastian Roche, the guys at Babur Restaurant, all at Two Spoons restaurant, and the lovely Dr Mayoni for their very generous donations to this project.

And of course to local resident extraordinaire (who is not on social media!) – Julia.

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Bride and Groom standing outside and looking in to each other's eyes on wedding day
Patchwork CouplesWedding Planning

A beautiful re-imagined small wedding during Covid-19

by Rosie Hurwitz
written by Rosie Hurwitz

2020 will undoubtedly go down as one of the most difficult years in recent history. Those couples who had chosen this year for their wedding have certainly been hit hard. Many faced disappointments, frustrations and in many cases, financial difficulties. The Covid restrictions impacted many couples wedding plans. But it hasn’t stopped many amazingly resilient and determined couples from showing that, despite all the obstacles, love will find a way. We spoke to Zoe, an endocrinologist and general medical physician, and Tom, a trauma and orthopaedic surgeon, who live in London. So this is a couple who have not only had to reimagine their entire wedding during a global pandemic but did it all whilst looking after us and protecting us all in their roles as doctors in the NHS. I don’t think we could be more in awe of this gorgeous pair and their beautiful, love-filled small wedding.

Bride and family celebrating with a small wedding in Yorkshire during Covid-19 pandemic

How did you make the day special despite the ongoing restrictions?

Tom and I finally got married on Saturday August 8th 2020 and it was a very small ceremony in the village I grew up in. We were able to get a common licence from the Bishop. It was just Tom, me, our parents and siblings and my 4 year old niece as flower girl.

Our re-imagined small wedding reminded us that our marriage was really about the joining of our families. Everyone played a part (or three!). My mum and my sister and I spent the morning of our wedding day making flower crowns and bouquets. My husband’s brother organised all the music including playing and singing a song he wrote himself during the ceremony. He was also Tom’s best man and a witness!

Group wedding shot, bride and groom with families socially distancing on either side

It sounds like everyone played an extra special and important part in your day?

They did. The village had pulled together and organised beautiful flowers for the church and petals for the flower girl. They organised photographs and many of our neighbours came to watch from a safe distance!

We weren’t able to have a big wedding reception because of the government rules not relaxing. But my mum made our wedding cake and hosted champagne and cake in my parents’ garden. We also had a small family dinner outside afterwards.

Bride, mother, bridesmaid and flower girl at their small wedding ceremony during Covid-19 pandemic

How did it feel to have a smaller wedding than you’d originally planned?

We missed our friends, of course. But we’re hoping to be able to have a marriage blessing and a big celebration in our original location with all our friends and family, once the pandemic has passed. We decided to wear our “proper” wedding outfits for our smaller ceremony. These were black tie, so we did look rather fancy for a tiny village church in North Yorkshire!

Bride and her mother, standing with backs to camera at entrance to village church

Was your wedding day very different to your original plans?

It was quite far from our original wedding plans, which were in a chapel in my old university and a grand medieval hall with around 100 guests, but in the end it was really just as special.

What’s your advice for couples wondering whether to postpone their wedding?

My advice is to go ahead with getting married even if it can’t be the perfect day you had planned. In the end, the material things did not matter so much to us.

A garden renovation patchwork wedding registry in an iPad

You went ahead with your Patchwork. What made Patchwork the right wedding gift list for you?

We chose Patchwork because it was very easy to use. We wanted to personalise our wish list so that it was meaningful to us and our friends and family. We’d seen honeymoon wish lists before, but we were looking for something a little different. Tom and I wanted our wedding guests to feel they were getting us a gift rather than giving money. But we preferred to pick how we spent the money ourselves – Patchwork was the perfect solution.

I found it easy to make an attractive Patchwork. I did it in one evening, and easy to transfer the money subsequently. We are planning on a garden makeover with the money. We are both doctors and have been very busy since March (when I set up the Patchwork) so we have not had time to use the money yet!

Thank you so, so much Zoe and Tom, for sharing these words and photos from your beautiful day with us. We think a small wedding where everyone can play a part in your celebrations really captures the spirit of what Patchwork is all about! And we really do hope you get some time soon to spend your gift money on your garden in the way that you want – and hopefully create a beautiful space for you to relax and think of all the friends and family who helped make it happen!

If Zoe and Tom have inspired you to organise a small wedding or set up an alternative wedding gift list, check out our gorgeous readymade templates. With Patchwork, it’s easy and fun to ask friends and family to get together virtually to make your dreams come true, whatever they are!

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couple-and-their-doula-patchwork
Patchwork Story

Patchwork Story: Chloe & Jude’s Doula

by Ismay Ozga
written by Ismay Ozga

Chloe and her partner Jude are both in their early thirties and having just bought their dream home together, found out they were expecting their first child. One of Jude’s first concerns was the amount of plastic toys that might soon fill their home – while Chloe was obviously nervous about the birth itself! So she decided to kill two birds with one stone and set up a patchwork to fund a doula. That way she would get the support she needed and their family would know exactly what they could buy for them – avoiding all the plastic! We asked Chloe all about it.

Tell us more about why you set up a patchwork?

My partner’s sister introduced me to the idea of getting a Doula, someone who could answer my many questions and support us in the lead up to the birth.

After realising that the costs of a Doula can be expensive we both felt that the money our families would be eager to spend on tiny outfits and teddies would be better spent helping us feel prepared and confident about the birth and early parenthood.

After contributing to a friend’s honeymoon via Patchwork earlier in the year we thought we would create our own and family and friends could fund the help and support of a doula.

We knew that our families were eager to help us, so we wanted them to be able to do so in a way that was practical and useful.

What was the best bit about funding through patchwork?

It was lovely reading all the messages and made us feel so supported during such a special time and such a big change in our lives.

Although the birth itself didn’t go to plan, I have fond and positive emotions surrounding other aspects of the birth and labour and our Doula contributed massively to this. And memories last forever

How were you feeling in the lead up to your birth?

Being the first in our group of friends to venture into the new world of parenthood we were a little overwhelmed by all the things we needed to consider. As a mum-to-be I was eager to know about all my options but was overwhelmed by all the available information on the internet.

Why did you feel you wanted a Doula?

I wanted the continuity of care that a doula provides that unfortunately I feel is absent in today’s maternity system. Between my initial checkups the midwives would always differ from occasion to occasion and there wasn’t that feeling of having someone you know and respect to answer the many questions you will have.

That’s why having a Doula is such a magical gift as you have someone who can be with you along the whole journey who understands your concerns and worries and is able to make you feel confident and self-assured at a time of such importance. The relationship between me and my lovely Doula has continued to this day and my boy’s face always lights up when he sees her.

How did having a Doula prepare you for birth and parenthood?

The Doula answered my long list of questions over a tea at our home, she was a calm and reassuring presence. Although respecting the magnitude of the occasion she made birth feel as though it was an everyday occurrence – which of course it is!

Our time with her made us fully aware of our options in regards to the birth and during the hours after birth she was able to help greatly with breastfeeding and through the days that followed was a continual support.

Even now with our little boy being older I still attend a post-natal group my Doula runs, it is a relationship that I am sure will continue for many years to come, and with that in mind Patchwork enabled our family and friends to provide our new family with a gift that keeps giving.

Thank you Chloe, Jude and little Lenny for sharing your incredible Patchwork story with us. Inspired by their story? You can see more new parent gift ideas here.

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Patchwork Story

Patchwork Story: Lucy’s 40th Birthday Trip to Sweden

by Ismay Ozga
written by Ismay Ozga

Lucy was about to celebrate her 40th birthday and wanted to mark the occasion by doing something super special. Her husband asked her about the one gift she would appreciate the most, and she decided it would be a trip to Sweden. So Simon set up a patchwork and asked her friends to crowdfund her adventure. We asked Lucy all about it.

So why did you decide on a trip to Sweden?

Last year one of my best friends recently moved back home to Sweden to be nearer her family. We only met four years ago through work but we instantly got on and she became like a sister to me! We got really used to seeing each other regularly so it was weird and sad when she moved away. It was nice to have such a great pen pal (she sends the best parcels in the world) and I was glad she was nearer her family but I missed seeing her terribly. I don’t have a very big income and don’t often travel abroad so when my husband asked me what I really wanted, I dropped a very big hint that I’d love to go to Stockholm to have some proper time with her!

Did you peek at your patchwork before the trip?

I mentioned a few of the places Lina was planning to take me but my husband kept it all a surprise. Every so often in the lead up to my birthday I saw Simon check his emails and make the sort of noise that can only mean ‘wow your friends are being really generous!’ – but I was very disciplined and didn’t let him show me!

How did Simon show you your birthday patchwork?

On the morning of my actual birthday in cold rainy January we went for a bracing walk along my favourite pier. Afterwards we stopped in a cosy cafe for a hot chocolate and he presented the finished patchwork to me as we sat getting warm. I was absolutely overwhelmed with everyone’s generosity and lovely messages, plus the sweet activities and day trips my friends had chosen to treat me to. I just burst into tears, I was so touched! There’s no way I would be able to afford such a fun trip with proper spending money. I was so excited.

So how was the trip?

It was AMAZING! Five whole days with my lovely Lina in a beautiful city, loads of delicious food, museums, galleries and lovely sunny days out. It was such a treat to have money to spend without worrying if I could afford it. I really can’t think of a better 40th birthday present. The trouble is, now I am desperate to go back again!

Patchwork holiday fund Stockholm
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Flower delivery gift with Patchwork and Bloom & Wild
Gift Ideas

Bloom & Wild Flower Delivery – The Perfect Gift for Far Away Friends.

by Ismay Ozga
written by Ismay Ozga

Since Tammy left London for the countryside her friends miss her. Badly.

No more spontaneous sunny days in the park, afternoon visits to cuddle babies, or late nights out on the town.

There are upsides – weekends in the country for long walks, roaring fires, red wine evenings and late mornings drinking tea on the sofa. But these trips need organising in advance and don’t happen as often as everyone would like.

And then there’s birthdays. Even worse, weekday-birthdays.

With no chance of popping around with cake and bubbles the girls wanted to make sure Tammy still felt loved from far away.

So they used Patchwork to chip in towards a flower delivery and chose a lovely big bouquet to be delivered to her door.

Tammy says: “What a beautiful, gorgeous treat to receive from my lovely friends. I was gutted not to be able to see them on my birthday so it was such a special way to feel loved and an amazing surprise. The flowers were so beautiful.”

With Bloom & Wild delivering flowers across the UK by post you only need to order 24 hours in advance to ensure your seasonal blooms are delivered through the letter box without a hitch. Just customise this flower delivery Patchwork so friends can chip in towards a beautiful bunch. Then gift the patchwork to your friend on the same day as the flower delivery, so they can see everyone’s messages and send their love and thanks.

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back to the future themed patchwork party
Patchwork KidsPatchwork Story

A Kids’ Party with a Back to the Future Theme

by Ismay Ozga
written by Ismay Ozga

Patchwork founder Olivia’s son turned ten this month. To celebrate she wanted to throw him a really special party with all his family and friends. Although Manu knew about the party, what he didn’t know was that it was going to be a Back to the Future themed party – an obsession that he’s inherited from his 1980s parents.

So when did Manu’s love of Back to the Future start?

Early. Manu chose his first red ‘life preserver’ at age four, started guitar lessons on a mini red electric at the age of five, owned a skateboard by six, went to the Secret Cinema screening of Back to the Future at eight and still watches the film at least once a month, reciting every line by heart. So, a Back to the Future themed party seemed like the perfect way to celebrate Manu’s past and future.

How did you go about organising the party?

Once I’d fixed the date and booked the local Scouts hall the real challenge was searching the country to track down an original Back to the Future DeLorean to drive Manu to the venue in style.

From that point on it was simple.

The Scout hall, a 1950s prefab, was the perfect Hill Valley School hall and although I knew it was going to take a lot of work to recreate the Enchantment Under the Sea dance, with P

atchwork it was easy to share the plan and ask everyone to help.

What response did you get from your party patchwork?

Within days of sending out the patchwork invite I had 50 people coming, a local ‘Marvin Berry’ band booked, badges being made, a projector screen and speakers promised, 100 balloons ordered, eight cakes being baked, a banner, two signs and a Flux Capacitor being made.

How did you keep it all a secret?

It was easy to keep the Back to the Future theme a secret from Manu until the day of the party. Getting dressed in his skinny jeans, checked shirt, denim jacket and red gilet was normal for Manu. But he did start to get a bit suspicious when his dad produced an 1980s Walkman and a brand new pair of white Nikes with a red tick.

With everyone waiting at the venue it was up to Manu’s dad to get him there. As they left home Manu said ‘I feel like Marty’, and at that exact moment the DeLorean pulled up and opened its doors, blaring out the Back to the Future theme tune!

Back to the Future themed patchwork party

How did Manu feel riding a time machine through Brockley?

This was the only Universal Studios DeLorean time machine in the UK and the one used for the 25 anniversary promotional tour, complete with Flux Capacitor. So Manu was speechless. As were the people who saw it driving (at 5 miles an hour over the speed bumps) through the streets of Brockley.

Back to the Future themed patchwork party

How did you transform the party venue into the Enchantment Under the Sea dance?

I spent Friday night with girlfriends painting the giant banner and two wooden signs. And we arrived at the venue on Sunday morning with a handful of helpers to decorate the hall, blow up balloons, set the tables, fill party bags and get the band set up. So when Manu arrived the scene was set and everyone was outside the hall dressed in 1985 or 1955 outfits to welcome him.

Back to the Future themed patchwork party

What did Manu think when he arrived at the Back to the Future themed party?

Manu McFly tried his best to play it cool as he stepped out of his time machine to whoops and cheers from the crowd, but he couldn’t hide his surprise and delight. His joy reached new heights when he stepped inside the hall and the band started playing ‘Power of Love’.

He said “The best bit of the party was riding in the DeLorean, seeing all my friends, eating all the cakes and the Flux Capacitor that Eric made me. The funniest thing was seeing Grandad dressed as Doc and the most embarrassing bit was when the band played Earth Angel and mum tried to make me dance.”

Back to the Future themed patchwork party
Back to the Future themed patchwork party

We know that you’re the biggest Back to the Future fan really. So what was your favourite bit?

I am. I loved feeling everyone’s excitement as we saw the DeLorean drive up and seeing Manu’s face as he got out of the Time Machine! It was so fun stepping into 1955 as we entered the hall, seeing all our efforts come together and hearing the AMAZING band. We’d made mini clock tower fairy cakes but seeing the incredible sea-themed creations, the Jail Bird Joey cake and the huge red guitar cake that everyone else had made was amazing. And of course Patchwork made it all so easy. I could keep track of all the things people were helping to fund, make and do and contact everyone about the things they’d pledged to do and send updates to everyone along the way.

After an evening of dancing I could also show Manu the patchwork so he could see how everyone helped to make it happen and read everyone’s messages so he could send his own thank yous.

It was a massive success, made super easy with Patchwork. Now I’m just looking for another excuse to plan a big party!

Back to the Future themed patchwork party

YAY. Best party ever. If this has inspired you to plan a party with patchwork, check out our party patchworks for inspiration, or create your own from scratch.

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crowdfund birthday handbag patchwork gift ideas
Gift Ideas

Sophie’s Handbag – Funded by Friends

by Ismay Ozga
written by Ismay Ozga

Sophie-Rose is a musician and songwriter in the band Paradisia, and has just turned 27. In the months leading up to her birthday she fell in love. With a bag. So she decided to patchwork it, asking her friends to chip in and make her handbag dreams a reality. Sophie tells us all about the new love of her life and why Patchwork worked for her.

Tell us about this dream handbag…

I decided to fund a Céline trio zip bag, the most practical, beautifully constructed handbag a girl could ask for! I’m not into labels in a big way. I like to mix high street pieces with vintage finds but when it comes to coats, bags and shoes I like to invest. These are the things you wear everyday. So it’s important they are made of quality materials, well crafted and made to last. The Céline bag is all of these things. It’s not too blingy, it’s not an obvious statement or too fashion-y. It’s a classic. So it’ll last me through the seasons and as trends come and go.

crowdfund birthday handbag patchwork gift ideas

Why did you decide to fund one big gift rather than ask for lots of little ones?

I’ve got all the little things I need. If I want a new book, t-shirt or mascara I can go and buy myself one. But on an artist’s income it’s not so easy to afford those investment pieces that I daydream about. I’d been saving up, but my birthday meant I could use Patchwork to ask family and friends to help me reach my target. I think as you get older you fixate on those long lasting, timeless possessions you can keep forever and then eventually hand over to your children. This is very much the case with my Céline!

What did your family and friends think of your request?

They loved the idea! My sister actually made the Patchwork and collected the cash so I didn’t know until my birthday who had contributed and whether I’d really be able to get the bag. It was the best thing when she turned up on my doorstep on the morning of my birthday. She’d been to Céline to buy the bag and had wrapped it up with a card and everyone’s messages. And I was (and still am) just so happy with it. Every time I look down at my bag I am reminded of my lovely friends and family and their generous offering, I made sure the patchwork ranged from £10 – £200 so all my friends could afford to give something. Then I sent everyone photos of me and my bag to say thanks for the BEST GIFT EVER. And a few of my friends are now making their own patchworks for Christmas!

Thank you for chatting to us about your beautiful bag Sophie! And a big belated happy birthday from Team Patchwork.

If this has inspired you to fund a bag for a loved one, you can customise our template handbag patchwork here, or browse our birthday gift ideas. Or create a patchwork from scratch now.

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