How we've helped A Gift From Cornwall

Jackie Gibbon and husband Robert have made it their business to champion Cornwall’s small producers – with a little help from Growth Hub.

The couple took over A Gift From Cornwall in Falmouth in 2019 and have used advice and support from Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Growth Hub to expand and develop the shop, which stocks a diverse range of local products.

Jackie and Robert had never run a business before moving to Falmouth from Hereford after deciding they wanted a complete change of lifestyle.

They were excited about their new business in their new hometown and were starting to get to grips with organising the shop and contacting suppliers.

“Shortly after arriving, we entered lockdown, which was a bit of a shock,” said Jackie, explaining that the majority of financial support available at the time was off-limits because they hadn’t been in business for long enough.

Then she saw an advert for Growth Hub on Facebook and decided to get in touch.

“They helped us with a grant so we could improve our website, which was brilliant,” said Jackie. “But, and most importantly for us, we were able to talk to them about the business and ask for advice.”

As novice business owners, Jackie and Robert say the support given by Growth Hub has been invaluable in helping them to work on key areas, including marketing, branding and expansion.

For instance, Gift From Cornwall’s hampers now come with their own branded ribbon to show that the local produce is all stocked at the Falmouth store.

“It hadn’t even occurred to us that that’s what we should do,” said Jackie. “[Growth Hub] gave us the thought and insight to do that.”

Help and support about the importance of social media and advice on branching out into holiday-let hampers has also helped Gift From Cornwall reach an increasing number of happy customers, who love stocking up on locally-made goodies, including chocolates, jams and preserves, rums and gins, as well as local art work.

“We love the fact that it’s all local,” said Jackie, who worked in an administration and accounting role before her Cornish career change. “We stock small producers and nearly everything in the shop is Cornish made. We get people coming to us who have products that they want to sell but we also go around trying to find different Cornish products – and the Cornish are so inventive. They are so brilliant at this sort of thing.”

Jackie and Robert are delighted they took the plunge and moved to Falmouth, but also that they got the help they needed at the right time from Growth Hub.

“They have been brilliant, supportive and encouraging and just really helpful for small businesses - and probably large businesses,” said Jackie. “We were comfortable in our zone just being the two of us in the shop and was kind of encouraging us to step out of that,” she added. “It was a massive confidence boost.”

Jackie says she would recommend Growth Hub to any business looking to expand and move forward.

For now, however, she’s looking forward to another day on the shop floor.

“We love it here, “she said. ‘It was just the perfect decision. Every day I walk through the door and think, ahh. This is so nice!”

The Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Growth Hub from May 2016 -  June 2023 was part funded by the European Regional Development Fund and match funded by Cornwall Council, the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy and the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership.  The project received £2,848,591.49 of funding from the England European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.