Having already raised £54,000 on its Crowdfunder fundraiser, ethical retailer HISBE is urging supporters to help it raise a further £21,000 in the next 11 days to hit the £75,000 required to unlock another £25,000 in match-funding.
Having been “battered” by covid and the cost-of-living crisis, the HISBE team is deperate to get back on track and open a third store on Lewes High Street next year.
Cofounder Ruth Anslow says: “The world needs alternatives to Tesco’s and the like… and this December, HISBE hopes to celebrate 10 years of fighting for a sustainable future for food and farming. Please help us get our community supermarkets back on course for growth, by getting behind our fundraiser on Crowdfunder.co.uk. Our supporters, customers and suppliers have done an amazing job so far, but we now need help to hit the next hurdle!”
Every pledge is being matched by two other funders, turning a £1 donation into £3 or even £4. Aviva has teamed up with Crowdfunder to support HISBE’s work through their Community Fund. And as HISBE reaches each £25,000 milestone, the Be The Earth Foundation donates £25,000 in match funding.
Ruth says: “These last three years have been tough, on all of us. HISBE has been in survival mode - and we are so grateful to all our customers and supporters for sticking with us.
“Running any small business at the moment is extra challenging, with rising costs and customers watching their pennies. But it’s even more of a balancing act for HISBE, as a social enterprise. It costs us extra to follow our values and do the right thing, whilst still keeping prices affordable for our shoppers.
“Thankfully we are now seeing the shoots of recovery in both stores, but we also need to raise funding to keep going and return HISBE to expansion-readiness. Our goal is to build a network of stores in Sussex - and we’re in talks with Lewes Council about bringing HISBE store number three to Lewes High Street in 2024.”
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