A co-operative launderette and social space is raising funds to grow the scale and impact of its work across the Liverpool city region.
Kitty’s Launderette, based in the Anfield-Everton area, plans to raise £20,000 by the end of the month to purchase an electric delivery van and charge point, and to install a solar panel array on the roof, and is appealing to local supporters and the wider co-operative movement to help it reach this goal.
“Kitty’s Launderette has only got this far through the amazing support of people near and far who have believed in us and our vision,“ said Grace Harrison, organisational development lead at Kitty’s.
Kitty’s Launderette was opened in 2019 by a group of local residents, after a successful Kickstarter campaign. Since then the worker-community co-op has developed the space into a community hub, hosting events and space for people to gather alongside its laundry services.
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The co-op aims to tackle social isolation and hygiene poverty with a programme that includes film nights, knitting groups, social history projects and subsidised laundry services for people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.
An independent Social Impact Report conducted last year found that for every £1 spent or invested into Kitty’s Launderette, the co-op turns this into £43 of social value for the community.
All of Kitty’s machines are electric and powered by 100% renewable electricity. An electric delivery van, and rooftop solar panels to charge it, will enable Kitty’s to reach more customers and increase the long term environmental sustainability of the business, says the co-op.
Anthony Scott, community lead at Kitty’s, said: “We have been working towards plans for a delivery service for some time. We established a temporary delivery service during the Covid-19 pandemic to support residents who were shielding at home in partnership with another local social enterprise, Peloton, using their cargo bikes.
“Recently, we have been running a commercial delivery service pilot with a local cab driver. We know there is lots of interest in us establishing a permanent service with lots of capacity for responding to the changing needs of our community.”
In 2023 Kitty’s won the Community-Based Social Enterprise Award from Social Enterprise UK, at the national sector body awards, which recognise impact and innovation in purpose-led business.
Harrison said that Kitty’s has been “bowled over” by the support from its community since launching in 2019, adding: “We really wanted to invite everyone to be part of this next stage of our development and so when people see our amazing new lecky van driving around town they can know they played a role in making that happen.”
To find out more and donate to Kitty’s Launderette crowdfunding campaign see here.
