Mayor's Back to Business Fund has provided £5,000 of match funding
Italo Covid Survival Fund
London, England, United Kingdom
Aim
To help our much loved shop adapt and survive through the first winter of the covid pandemic.
Italo was opened in 2008 by Charlie Boxer, Frank Boxer and Luigi di Lieto, as a community based shop in the heart of Bonnington Square, one of the longest running and most successful experiments in alternative social living in Europe.
Very much aiming to reflect the values of the community; despite its growing reputation for the food which comes out of the kitchen, and the quality of it’s stock, it has remained what it always intended to be, a corner shop for all the folk in the neighbourhood.
The shop is much loved and used by the local community, for helping to run and organise the famous Bonnington Square Festival (though not this year) for organising many events such as Friday fiddle workshops, country dancing, puppet shows, for its general amiability to all and sundry, and its weekly newsletter which keeps everyone in touch with all the excitements.
To survive the winter, we need to change the layout of the shop, and allow customers and friends inside... We have survived the summer by keeping the shop closed to all but staff, minimising the risk of spreading. However, we need now to make space inside for customers to shelter at an appropriate distance.
The beautiful furniture made by Luigi, and our antique deli display fridge needs to be taken away, and a new counter built and installed.... and we will need to find support to keep the amazing team we have assembled of Sherri, Alice, Jake, Eline, Colleen and Charlie....
The Mayor’s £1m Back to Business Fund offers up to £5,000 in match funding to small and independent businesses through the Pay It Forward London crowdfunding platform. If we can get to 25% of our target with at least 50 different backers, the Mayor will pledge match funding up to £5,000. Once 100% of our target is reached, the Mayor’s pledge is released.
Pay It Forward London enables businesses to raise vital funds and stay afloat, rebuild and recover from the impacts of Covid-19 through crowdfunding. Since its launch in April, over 10,000 Londoners have donated over £500,000 to support their favourite local businesses.
Through the Back to Business Fund, the Mayor will match every pound raised by a business up to a maximum of £5,000 - or 50% of their campaign target - to help them expand their operation online, invest in their future and adapt to safe, socially distant trading.
This project successfully funded on 18th November 2020