Kendal's Maya Maya short listed for Covid Community Champion award

Maya Maya, owned by Amanda Slattery, is an independent fashion business located on the Dockray Hall Estate which has been trading for 17 years.

TRADER: Owner Amanda Slattery and her business have been shortlisted for the Covid Champion Award for founding Boutiques in Business

During lockdown Amanda set up the group Bouquets in Business which started out as a small business venture, but soon developed into a support network to assist other traders throughout the Covid lockdown.

The group currently has more than 50 traders and businesses involved.

The network has been instrumental in helping clarify the rules around lockdown, giving advice on business decisions under restrictions and discussing important decisions in the industry.

For her work with the group Amanda and Maya Maya have been nominated for the Covid Community Award.

Amanda said: “We found out we had been shortlisted about two weeks ago.

“There are about 15 different awards and I’m so grateful that we have been shortlisted.

“For the Covid champion award it’s basically about the group, Bouquets in Business, that I set up last year.

TRADER: Kendal businesses for Covid award for services to the community

“It’s now got the support of the British Retailers Association and it’s got a growing membership base.

“It’s a membership group, set up for supporting traders before and after Covid.

“It was a platform for all of us. We could meet and discuss things, help with business decisions and often we could clarify the rules when they changed in lockdown.

“It was all about helping each other through the hard times and I hope we did our bit.

“Aside from Bouquets in Business we also changed how we did things in the shop. We made it appointment only and kept to social distancing.

“We were on Chris Evans' show and BBC North West so we got to get the word out about us quite a lot.

BUSINESS: Maya Maya, located in Kendal's Dockray Hall Estate

“I set up the group at the end of 2019 and nothing really happened with it at first but when Covid hit it gave me an idea of how to use it more effectively, and hopefully to help others.

“It gave time to work on it as a Covid support group.

“On September 23, I’ll find out if we get the award. There will be a luncheon in London and we’ll meet with the other five nominees.

“We’ll have to wait and see but we’re very excited about it all. We have a website, an Instagram and a Facebook for the group and always looking for more to join.”