Caring Milton Keynes shop owner devotes free space to Kidpreneurs selling homemade wares for pocket money

A stationary and craft shop that has become part of the community is helping children to launch their own mini businesses.

Shrimp & Doodle opened on Brooklands estate last October and specialises in unique, quirky and sassy stationery and gifts.

But owner Kayleigh is also passionate about craft and runs regular free craft sessions in the store for local children during school holidays.

"I'm really passionate about the shop being a place where parents can bring their children and have fun at a craft session and not have to worry about the cost. I know the school holidays can be expensive as a parent myself and I’ll do everything I can to ease that financial burden," she said.

Kayleigh was so impressed by some of the creations at these sessions, and also things children were making at home, that she has set up a special Kidpreneur shelf in the shop for the youngsters to sell their goods.

"They don’t have to pay any money to sell in the shop and they get to keep 100% of their profits. Every child will get accepted, I don’t base it on skill or ability - in fact, I say to every child: 'it doesn’t have to be perfect, you just have to be proud of it'," she said.

So far the offerings include polymer clay figures, bracelets, rings, coasters, paintings, origami decorations, earrings and pixie dust jars - all made with love by children as young as four.

"My favourite part is counting the money with the children when they come in to collect it and seeing how excited they are that they have earned it and it’s theirs to keep," said Kayleigh.

She was inspired to encourage the kidpreneurs by her eldest son Oliver, who is 11.

"I have noticed a real entrepreneurial spirit in him. He asked me if he could design a pen for my business with the slogan 'too busy to talk to you'. I found it hilarious and so did my customers - his first batch of 100 sold out within a day! " she said.

"To teach Oliver the reality of running your own business I made a deal with him that he could keep the profits for every pen he packaged himself. With his profit in hand, I gave him the choice to keep or invest and buy more pens. He decided to reinvest and buy more pens to sell."

Kind-hearted Kayleigh also offers free period products from the shop to anybody who requests them.

"t started with me buying 30 packs of pads and tampons and posting on social media that people can come in and get them if they need to. Within a few days I was receiving loads of boxes a day of donations from people all over the world that follow me on social media and wanted to help," she said.

"Because I was so lucky to have the support of my followers behind me I was able to take my period poverty campaign to the next level. I started donating hundreds at a time to local charities and organisations and most recently I’ve donated over 300 period products to help the Ukrainian refugees.

"Four months on from setting up the period poverty campaign I have now given out over 1,000 period packs via donations to charity or people coming into the shop to collect."

Despite her best efforts though, Kayleigh admits she is struggling to get customers to visit the shop - mostly because they don't realise it is there.

Tucked around a corner on Brooklands Square, the surrounding shops have yet to be occupied and some days the only people Kayleigh sees are builders working on the area.

She is currently working with developers to get a directional sign put up in the car park of the Square.

"Hopefully that will help as I know a lot of people have got lost while trying to find me. The postcode is MK10 7NG or if you type 'Shrimp & Doodle' in Google maps you’ll find the shop."

Any young person with any handmade goods to sell is welcome to call into the shop to fill in an application form.