Page & Bloom has changed a lot since that first seed of an idea back in 2018. And although there’s still so much to do, with our customers’ support, we’ve blossomed!
One thing that hasn’t changed is our purpose: to support women who have experienced domestic abuse rebuild their lives through employment.
Despite the current Covid-19 pandemic, Page & Bloom’s work carries on. But how the studio has changed in a matter of weeks! With the team dispersed, our cups of tea and chatter continue, but online. Because now more than ever, our mutual support has never been so urgent.
While some of us continue to work from home, with weddings and events understandably down, others must take a step back for now. As you’d expect from a social enterprise like ours, we’re supplementing the British government’s 80% wage promise to guarantee everyone receives their full salary.
Our staff is made up a group of incredible women, bravely taking the first steps in rebuilding their lives after domestic abuse. We’re proud to call them colleagues: all have navigated complex shelter, housing, and benefits systems. Many were isolated from family, long before Covid-19.
They’ve also picked up new skills, and helped Page & Bloom thrive through their professionalism, meticulous attention to detail, and above all, ambition.
While many of us are safely isolating at home during Covid-19 lockdown, for many women, staying put is far from safe. We’re proud to work with London domestic violence charities Hestia and Housing4Women, both of which continue to work through lockdown. In such difficult times, it’s impossible to overstate the importance of these hard-working organisations: across the UK, more than 25 organisations operating in the field have reported an increase in cases and calls. From abusers exploiting government-imposed restrictions to further control victims; to former partners facing no choice but to isolate with perpetrators for reasons spanning anything from financial security to childcare, the situation isn’t just problematic, it’s potentially fatal.
We all deserve stability at this most testing of times. If you can afford to do so, please consider donating to a women’s refuge near you. And if you’re able, help us keep our amazing staff secure by buying loved ones a stem, a posy, or bouquet of our signature paper flowers.
We all need something to look forward to right now, and for the Page & Bloom team, it’s being reunited in our cosy studio soon, preferably with plenty of tea of lots of cake. Until then, let’s all play our part in keeping society safe.
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