Gosport will welcome a new shop which aims to offer learning resources for children of all abilities

Michelle Duffy, of Gosport, has been surrounded by arts and crafts throughout her life, as her mum was a teacher, and says she has always been interested in creating things that will be useful to others.

For years, she has traded at Port Solent market but when lockdown came, she harnessed her creative ability to help her children learn at home.

The 42-year-old began designing educational laminated work sheets that her children could use to practise writing, spelling and co-ordination – and the small business has taken off.

She makes velcro activity mats, reward and routine charts, bilingual activities, create and learn sheets and activity boxes.

Michelle has a nine-year-old daughter, Sophia, and two sons – Harley, four, and Oakley, three. After posting her design sheets on Facebook her friends asked her to make them some.

She said: ‘When Covid hit, I had young children at home. Then my son started Year R last September so he needed help with his spelling and writing before.

‘He could learn to write his name and could do one to ten and I had made some mummy friends and I would post what we were doing with crafts and recycling. My friends began asking if I could give them one and my best friend told me to work on this side of things and make some more products and build my confidence to make a business.’

Michelle’s business has grown and she has outgrown working from home.

She is opening a shop in Stoke Road and said the best part about her learning products is that they can be adapted to suit any child’s needs, because she designs the pieces. She has had customers with non-verbal children.

Michelle said: ‘Last month I got named star seller on Etsy and I am now buying and laminating by the box load.

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‘I want to make sure that all children can enjoy learning and can have access to the resources to help. The shop will give me the ability to talk to people face to face but the online presence will remain so until we are open in store, people will still be able to order products online.’

The shop is expected to open next month.