New shop space shines spotlight on town's small businesses

Fitzherberts has opened at The Original Factory Shop (TOFS) in Matsell Way, Dereham, and already plays host to more than two dozen vendors.

The concept of the store is to give up-and-coming firms an opportunity to establish a visible presence in the town - when they might not otherwise have the resources to do so.

Many of the vendors previously had items up for sale at The Nook, which was established at Aldiss Court last year.

Sadly, the venture had to close in May due to the rising cost of energy.

But now, Vicky Evans-Melo and Dawn Caley - who were part of The Nook themselves - have teamed up to start a similar project.

"Dawn and I had become friends and decided we didn't want to let go of this idea," said Ms Evans-Melo.

"What we wanted was to have lots of little businesses that make their own crafts under one roof. We began looking for premises and trying to figure out how we could do this ourselves.

"The Factory Shop had been advertising for local crafters to rent a space every now and then, but I asked Nick Deere, the manager, whether he would be interested in us doing that on a larger, more permanent basis."

Having heard the pair's pitch, Mr Deere gave them the green light and Fitzherberts was born.

Vendors based in the local area are already queuing up to exhibit their handmade products, and the overall number will soon exceed 40.

Everyone pays a small rental fee and the money goes to Dereham Cancer Care, which supports people in the area living with the illness. Already, around £700 has been raised.

Mrs Caley, who makes metal garden art, said: "It has been amazing to see people thrive and to help others sell their products.

"We would not have been able to do this without the help of the Factory Shop."

Ms Evans-Melo added: "I love Dawn's work and that of all the other small businesses. The feedback so far has been amazing.

"For me this is all done on a volunteer basis because. It is all about people helping each other out."