“The Acton and Park Royal Creative Enterprise Zone has given me new opportunities, and the right support and tools to push my business forward,” said Hanaa Hazra Bawamia, an illustrator who runs a stationery business in North Acton.
Hanaa’s business, La Plante Carnivore, sells unique stationery made with a nod to British and Mauritian flora, which is produced locally using recyclable and environmentally friendly materials. She started selling her products in the Acton and Park Royal Creative Enterprise Zone (CEZ), which offers affordable and creative spaces. She started her business in 2022 when the CEZ first opened.
Being part of the CEZ has given Hanaa the chance to take part in the London Made Me Retail Development programme. Last year, Hanaa and 11 other entrepreneurs were shown the ropes of high street retail and given tips and tools to develop their businesses.
The Mayor of London’s CEZ programme aims to create thousands of jobs in creative industries. Since the borough’s CEZ opened, it has created 1,250 jobs and is home to more than 150 creative sector businesses. Supported by Ealing Council, the CEZ invests in local creatives, and in turn unlocks new opportunities for homegrown creative industries, artists, and businesses.
Creative sector partners and businesses in the area have worked with the CEZ programme to deliver affordable workspaces, offer business support, and develop training initiatives. These give emerging artists access to space where they can develop their careers, and local people have opportunities to learn creative sector skills and access support to find new jobs.
‘Gain a support system for your business’
Hanaa added: “The connections I have made throughout my journey with the Acton and Park Royal CEZ have benefitted my business.
“The London Made Me Retail Development programme, and the CEZ have been great ways to connect with different artists and makers from different CEZ zones, while offering a well-rounded training programme for two weeks prior to trading.
“I would encourage any new or well-established businesses to get in touch with representatives of the CEZ. There is good in reaching out to your community of creatives and artists, as you never know who can help you get to the next steps. It is exciting to think about the friendships or partnerships which you can form, while gaining a new support system for your business.”
‘A major stepping stone’
Ealing Council leader, Peter Mason said: “We are lucky to have so much creative talent in our borough. We want to support the creative sector by giving local people more opportunities to turn their brilliant ideas into careers. The CEZ is helping the arts to thrive in our 7 towns and ensuring all residents can access, enjoy, or build careers in this increasingly important sector.”
Councillor Kamaljit Nagpal, the council’s cabinet member for decent living incomes added:
“The Creative Enterprise Zone is delivering opportunities for local people, directly contributing to reaching our target of delivering 10,000 good, new jobs within the borough, as well as being a major stepping stone towards building a stronger economy as part of our recently approved jobs and skills strategy. It has been a fantastic initiative to support the growth of businesses within one of the borough’s key sectors.”
Find out more
If you run a small business in Park Royal and want to find out more about the Small Business Loan Fund launched by Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC), go to the OPDC website. Or for more information, visit its Creative Enterprise Zone webpage.
