Independent retailers are fighting really hard right now. By supporting local, you’re supporting your next door neighbour and giving back to your community.”

Kate Spence Duod runs Bristol’s Afro Street with husband Danny, and is fronting a new Mother’s Day campaign for the Love Bristol Gift Card A Bristol mum of two and entrepreneur is taking part in a ‘more than a mum’ campaign, encouraging people to think about what mums really want and need this Mother’s Day, supporting local businesses at the same time.

Kate Spence Duod relocated to Bristol to start independent Afrocentric store Afro Street, located in The Arcade, Broadmead, in 2022 “I worked for Jimmy Choo on the couture side before setting up my own bespoke shoe brand. It was hectic and I was running all over London. After having our first son, it wasn’t feasible anymore. Danny had his own fashion line and we decided to focus on that together, hosting pop ups in cities including Bristol, which led to us opening our beautiful Afro Street shop in the city.

“All of the brands represented at Afro Street have been handpicked for their quality and uniqueness. The store is also a hub for collaboration. Having both run fashion brands ourselves, both Danny and I know how hard it can be, but as part of Afro Street, brands can work together and that is hugely beneficial.

“In 2024, we’re opening up the basement of Afro Street as a boutique lounge for creatives and the community to use for events such as workshops, trunk shows, podcasts and photoshoots. The community vibe is so strong in Bristol and we want to support this.”

Afro Street is one of over 170 businesses who are part of the Love Bristol Gift Card, led by the three central Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) to encourage local shopping, and part of the award winning Town & City Gift Card concept.

A Town & City Gift Cards survey with 370 mums in the UK and Ireland has shown that 77 per cent of mums say they feel guilty spending money on themselves. Clothes, shoes and bags are the items that 76 per cent of mums feel guilty spending money on, followed by beauty treatments, nights out/days out and holidays, meals out and the gym/health/fitness activities.

92 per cent of mums have wished for more time for themselves and 78 per cent have wished for more time with their friends. A massive 69 per cent of mums are working into the evenings and weekends. Almost a third of mums are spending more than 90 minutes each day on household tasks, with a quarter of mums saying they get just 15 minutes each day purely to themselves. 

95 per cent of mums said they worry more since having children, with children being what tends to worry mums most, followed by finances, partner/love life and work.
A huge 96 per cent of mums surveyed said they’d like to receive a local gift card for Mother’s Day, with beauty treatments and a meal out being the top items mums would spend their gift card on. 

Kate, whose children are now 4 and a half and 3 months old, said the Love Bristol Gift Card offers mums the chance to buy something they’d love and have time for themselves:

“I really thought it was just me that feels guilty about spending money on myself. I love fashion and was always so excited about buying clothes, but now I feed that passion through the things I buy for the children and I rarely buy for myself.

“Time is another big challenge for mums. Like many mums, I’m juggling a business with children, and trying to do well at all of it. You worry about sacrificing time with your children. I think it’s about finding a new rhythm, and that’s why working with Danny is good because we both have different skill sets that complement each other.
“The Love Bristol Gift Card is a really great concept. If you give the Love Bristol Gift Card at Mother’s Day, mums can buy something they’d really love and have some time for themselves as well as supporting the local area.

“I think it’s so important to support local because if we don’t, the businesses we love won’t be there anymore. Independent retailers are fighting really hard right now. By supporting local, you’re supporting your next door neighbour and giving back to your local community.”

Bristol City Centre BID, Redcliffe & Temple BID and Broadmead BID are behind the Love Bristol Gift Card.

Steve Bluff, Head of Redcliffe & Temple BID, said: “Kate is sharing a powerful message. We need to support local to keep Bristol businesses open and thriving. Choosing the Love Bristol Gift Card this Mother’s Day provides a tangible cash injection for city businesses.”

Vivienne Kennedy, head of Broadmead BID, said: “Over 170 businesses are now part of the Love Bristol Gift Card, offering unrivalled local choice in Bristol and access to some unique gems like Afro Street in Broadmead. Whether for Mother’s Day, a birthday, anniversary or any other occasion, the card is a passport to retail, eating out, arts and culture and much more in the city.”

Vicky Lee, Head of Bristol City Centre BID, adds: “The reality is that many of us think twice about spending money on ourselves, especially in the current cost of living crisis. The Love Bristol Gift Card gives mums the chance to treat themselves to something they’d really like.”

Colin Munro is the managing director of Miconex: “Our ‘more than a mum’ campaign shines a light on what it means to be a mum in 2024, some of the challenges that mums face, and what mums really want and need this Mother’s Day. By choosing the Love Bristol Gift Card this Mother’s Day, you can give your mum choice and freedom to spend the card as they choose, helping local businesses at the same time.”