A NEWLY opened business in Bream hopes its offerings can help the community’s mental health, confidence and benefit local charities.
The Crafty Foxes Den is a unique gift shop which offers a range of gifts, souvenirs and crafts - but it goes much further than that. The quaint shop also supports local artists and authors.
The family-run business, which opened February 1, is operated by Forest-born Claire Smith and is largely community-focused. It has around 20 local artists’ work in the shop, and offers a space for arts and crafts donations to support local charities and community members.
Claire said: “Artwork in whatever form is brilliant for mental health. My children have had the opportunity to be around arts and craft supplies from a young age, but not everyone has that luxury. It’s been quite important for us to be able to provide that.
“We have a basket of free stuff which children can come and rummage through, but we know that not everyone is comfortable with doing that. That’s why we contacted The Food Bank, who will be able to identify what families will need.”
Connected at the back of the shop is another business; a tattoo parlor called ‘Black Opal Inks’, run and operated by The Crafty Foxes Den owners’ daughter Sophie. Sophie is a self-taught tattooist who became licensed around a year ago. The 20-year-old is one of the youngest tattooists in The Forest of Dean.
Claire explained that Sophie’s own mental health has benefited from the expression of art through tattooing, and Sophie’s goal of having the space as a viable business was one of the starting points of The Crafty Foxes Den, as it can help support Sophie on her business journey.
Supporting the community is at the forefront of the two businesses, using the medium of arts and crafts, which as Claire said, can be largely beneficial to mental health.
Claire added: “The main focus is community. It’s us helping local artists, as not everyone has the opportunity to go out to different craft fairs or it can be too overwhelming. It’s us bringing the youngsters in, with some of our youngest being eight-years-old.
“Additionally, if you go to a craft fair and people walk past your creations, it can be quite demoralising - so to take that away, it can be a big step forward. Their stuff might be absolutely beautiful, but people in attendance might not be into that type of thing at that specific time. So if you suffer from anxiety or lack of confidence, you might stop doing arts and crafts, but it’s important to keep going.”
The Crafty Foxes Den looks to support the community through these means, and Black Opal Inks additionally looks to provide a safe space for women, who may have gone through a trauma or their own mental health crises.
The unique pair of businesses can be found on Parkend Road, Bream. You can keep an eye on updates via their Facebook pages. You can also call Crafty Foxes Den on 07908 138811, and Black Opal Inks on 07566746000.
