Keep Milliners' Guild Open

Ani Stafford-Townsend is the owner of Milliners' Guild, Bristol's only dedicated hat shop.

Ani has focused on developing, where possible, an ethical supply chain, with an emphasis on upcycled and repurposed materials. Milliners' Guild stocks the work of a wide range of milliners, with an explicit mission of promoting high quality, handmade British millinery.

Recently, Ani broke her foot after stumbling down some of Bristol's infamous steps, and is looking at a healing time of at least the next four weeks.

This crowdfund is to raise funds to cover the shop's basic rent and bills for the next month. The shop will still be open, but it is incredibly hard to do millinery with a broken foot on the mend, so Ani's productivity during this time will be greatly impacted.

Being self-employed, Ani isn't eligible for any sick pay. And sickness insurance doesn't pay out for the first six weeks of an illness or injury. In self-employment, a reduced ability to work means reduced income. There is no safety net.

So this is a critical time for Milliners' Guild. Your contribution could make the difference between the business surviving, and the shop having to close.

Ani would be beyond thankful for your support.