A North Devon jeweller has doubled the capacity and frequency of her workshop events thanks to a £25,000 loan delivered by SWIG Finance.
Amy Fletcher, who runs Amy Eira in Bideford’s Mill Street, has used the cash injection from the Community ENABLE Funding programme, backed by the Growth Guarantee Scheme, to create and equip a new workshop space above the NAKED coffee shop and hair salon, also in Mill Street. The larger area will enable the team to teach eight people at a time rather than four, and events will move from a monthly to a fortnightly basis.
Meanwhile, the old teaching space above Amy’s shop will be converted into a dedicated workshop for her, enabling her to focus on bespoke commission pieces.
The Community ENABLE Funding (CEF) programme works by increasing the availability of funding to social impact small business lenders, who in turn provide that funding to the smaller businesses they serve in local communities. One of the key objectives of the British Business Bank’s programme is to help develop the UK’s Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) sector to provide affordable loans and financial services in underserved communities, supporting up to £150m of lending over its first two years.
A cosy space for bespoke workshops
Moving upstairs takes Amy’s workshop away from the heart of the retail premises. “People were able to watch me work, but I do love to chat to customers, so I wasn’t always doing as much work as I’d like,” she laughs. “The new space will enable me to focus more, and it’s also a cosy, exclusive venue for bespoke workshops like couples’ wedding ring creation.
“We still have a workbench in the retail space where people can watch us make jewellery and see the tools we use. The girls make jewellery there for stock.”
Expanding the public workshops means more people can enjoy a relaxing time making new friends and a beautiful piece of handmade jewellery, be it a gemstone pendant, a silver torque bangle or a ring set with sea glass beachcombed from local sands.
From magpie to maker
Amy’s jewellery journey arguably began in childhood. “I’ve always been a hoarder, with glass jars full of buttons, beads, pebbles. I would collect like a magpie, and during a fine art degree in Newport, Wales, I began experimenting with beading and wire wrapping. I would buy pieces from charity shops, deconstruct them and put them back together differently, selling them on a market stall.”
After university, Amy worked in several jobs “to pay the bills – none of them made me happy”. Her husband Rob persuaded her to ask a local jeweller for a job, and she went on to work with Patrick Graham Jewellers in Ruislip for six years, learning not only how to make jewellery for a living but also how to run a business, including a team of staff. “By the time I left, I was 100% prepared to not only do something I loved, but also make money out of it.”
When the pandemic hit in 2020, the couple relocated to Bideford. Amy Eira (her middle name) launched soon afterwards and quickly took on its first employee. The business now has a team of four, all of whom make and teach, and Amy hopes to employ a fifth full-time staff member in the near future, as well as welcoming guest tutors.
Finding the right lender
Amy found SWIG Finance and the CEF programme by asking an AI assistant to show her financial options. “I chose SWIG Finance because I could see it offered the Start Up Loans programme, which is also financed by the British Business Bank. I had a £5,000 loan to start up my business in 2020,” she explains. “This gave me reassurance that SWIG Finance was a legitimate lender, and when I spoke to the staff, they were all really lovely and amenable.
“Without the CEF money, it would have taken me much longer to expand the business. I was able to keep some money back for cashflow purposes, including the extra rent and the need to buy good quality tools for the new space. Now it’s up and running, the extra capacity for public workshops and jewellery making will also increase our income.”
Craig Slater, business manager for SWIG Finance, said: “Being able to assist small businesses in the South West is the best part of my job. Being able to see Amy’s business expand and grow, and being able to help a little with that success, was such a pleasure.”
Amy Eira’s next public workshop will produce charm bangles and takes place on Saturday 21 November. Stacking rings follow in January 2027, with drop or hoop earrings in February.
About SWIG Finance
SWIG Finance is a people-based lender that provides loans and support to help smaller businesses in the South and West Country grow. It bases lending decisions on potential rather than collateral, which means it can often support businesses when others can’t. In 2025/26 it lent £18.4m to 500 businesses, helping to create and secure more than 1,134 jobs. For more information, call 01872 227 930 or email info@swigfinance.co.uk.
Image: Amy Fletcher teaching at one of her workshops. Photo credit: Chloe Upton.
