New Shoreham baby and children clothing shop aims to be a hub for local parents

Lotty Ballantine’s dream is for her Tarmount Studios business to act as a hub for local parents and families, a ‘safe and friendly environment’ where they can take a moment out of their day to relax.

The mum-of-one, who lives round the corner from the shop, said: “I know what it’s like sometimes, you just want to talk to another human being, another adult.

“I have a big comfy chair where you can come in and feed, or come in and have a chat with no obligation to buy anything.

“My door is always open to people.”

Her shop, Lolly & Lelly – which brings together her nickname and that of her four-year-old daughter, Lellah – has been open for almost three weeks now and Lotty said it was going ‘really well’ so far.

“The positivity from the local community is just so wonderful,” she said.

A notice board at the shop includes lots of information about classes and clubs for babies in the local area.

Lotty said: “I’ve got lots of leaflets, people can come and find out about things going on and just share in the love of the local community.”

As well as clothes, the shop also sells jewellery, macrame and decorations. Many of the items are handmade by Lotty and her mother, while others are created by other local ‘mum-trepreneurs’ who Lotty said it was important to her to support.

She said: “People try and become ‘mumtrepreneurs’ to find a way you can still make money and work around your family.”

It is a narrative that rings true for Lotty – who used to work in a big corporate company before becoming a mother, when she began selling her homemade wares online through the website Etsy.

Many of the items on sale at the shop are pre-loved or second hand, as she said: “I know what it’s like when you don’t have a lot of money and you don’t want to spend £20 on a new dress for the baby.”

She said there was less prejudice towards second hands goods these days, adding: “There’s definitely a trend towards sustainability.”

Find out more by following the shop’s Facebook page, @lollyandlelly

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