When it comes to independent businesses East Leake has it all. There is a wide range of shops, restuarants and other outlets in the village where traders aim to have things available locally so the community don’t have to travel far from their home.
The Greengrocer, Captcha Photography, Googie’s Flowers, Double D’s Coffee, and Carpet Image, are just some of the many retailers that build up the community feel.
Haley Mason, has owned Captcha Photography for almost a decade. She said: "We set up in the village since 2004 with a studio. I do photography shoots of anything, a dog, a cat, a family. We also print from people’s mobile phones, we frame and we sell art."
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She highlighted the East Leake Traders which is a group of more than 40 retailers and businesses in the village. Together they have even come up with a scheme to help residents use the local shops and keep people shopping locally.
The 57-year-old said: “We try to make things available for the community so they don’t have to travel out, if we can keep the pound local, it keeps the economy local.
“We also created a market, there’s volunteers who created it at the backend of 2019, it went on hold in 2020 and it’s been going strong since 2021.”
Hayley says the market has an ‘ambience’ as they add music and put on food and drinks for people to enjoy.
She continued: “It’s really friendly, like its own little bubble. It’s a friendly village. There’s a really good football club, dance school, and drama group. There's rugby which is new and is growing.”
“It’s a really community home, I think we’ve got everything, a community that works together. The village has a really good vibe”
Residents Clare Lloyd, 35, and Daniel Lloyd, 41, spoke on how they are getting married in the village on April 15, they have praised the local businesses as they have managed to plan their wedding using the local church, florist, photography studio and other business.
Mrs Lloyd said: "I love this village. It’s a community, it’s nice. The East Leake traders are really good. They’re very interconnected, the traders are."
Daniel added: “There’s a nice community atmosphere, it’s small enough to have the atmosphere but big enough to have a lot of people.”
Mel Roper, 51, and husband Sam Roper, 60, have lived in the village all their lives. They own The Greengrocer in the village.
Mel said: “We’ve been here for 10 years, we joined a really good trader association. We, as a village, are like the tourist information centre, we have an events board outside, and always got what is happening in East Leake.
“We just get involved in everything. I’ve been here all my life. East Leake has always been a village and we’re trying to cling on to that."
Mel added that they are ‘clinging onto that village feel’ they had when growing up in East Leake. It still has that village feel to this day. She continued: “It’s a friendly place to live, a happy place to live - unless it’s raining.”
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