Shops / redfield
Treasured toy shop turns ten
A toy shop owner in Redfield is celebrating ten years of trading and community spirit on Church Road.
Jo Webster-Green, who lives in St George, realised her lifelong dream of owning a toy shop when she opened Little Treasures in June 2015.
Since then, Jo has built strong ties with the community by fostering creativity in children and showcasing local artists.
is needed now More than ever
Jo Webster-Green fosters community spirit – photo: Carla Wakfer
Jo said: “It’s a lovely place to live, people are very much of a community rather than individuals.
“They look after each other and I think living and having my shop here is just fabulous because people know who I am.
“I get greeted in the streets and if they don’t know me as a friend, they know me as Little Treasures and I really like that.”
To celebrate a decade of successful trading, in June there will be a free raffle ticket for all visitors and each day the tenth paying customer will get a free gift.
Little Treasures sells all types of toys, but it’s Jo’s passion for crafts and education that feeds the imagination of families that regularly visit.
She explained: “I like to sell things that are a bit more open-ended, that have room for development.
“I’m not selling ‘slash ‘em and bash ‘em’ type toys, and I don’t do anything that would be body shaming – I don’t like the Barbies and Cindys.”
The shop runs monthly initiatives such as “Let’s Make It in March,” which encourages arts and crafts by offering pre-packed craft kits.
Jo explained: “There are lots of different craft projects – decoupage chest kits, decoupage easter eggs, wind chimes, from sponge paper to making plate animals and weaving – all sorts of things.”
Jo, who was a school teacher before starting the business, believes that giving a child room for their imagination to grow is important.
She said: “Whether that’s creating something that they can be proud of and say ‘I made this,’ or having fun role-playing, it’s all beneficial.”
The options are endless and an absolute must visit if trying to find the right present – photo: Carla Wakfer
Jo also likes how the shop can teach children about the value of money in a digital world.
She said: “You need to learn what the value of money is, how much things cost, what money is and what you can do with it. That’s something that children don’t really get an awful lot of when they’re tapping a card on a card machine.
“The actual use of money is dying out and it’s really important that we don’t let it, because that sort of education for a child is phenomenal.
“I do a layaway thing, if children come in and they can’t afford something and they want to reserve it, they can, because I don’t have vast numbers of everything.
“They come back when they’ve saved up enough money and they pay for it.”
Nestled on the corner of Church Road and Worsly Street, the shop benefits from lots of window space.
Locally renowned for her quirky window displays, Jo explained: “The windows are never sensible, and they’re never to advertise anything, they are purely for the joy of having something that amuses or interests.
“At the moment, I have monkeys flying kites.
Monkeys flying kites in one of many fun window displays – photo: Carla Wakfer
“Sometimes there are competitions in the windows. I had an alphabet window where children had to write down all the things they could see with all the letters.
“One Christmas I did an advent calendar display, and a mum texted me to say that the only way she could get her child to school that month was to come past and see what was new in the window each day.”
There is also a ‘crafter’s window,’ by the till, where each month Jo lets a local craftsperson exhibit and sell what they do.
There are cards, boardgames, crafting material, plenty of things to keep children off of their phones – photo: Carla Wakfer
Since starting the shop, Jo has seen children go from “a bump in the belly to starting school” and explained how wonderful it is to see them develop.
She said: “They know me, they all come in and say ‘hello to Jo,’ which is nice.”
Like many of the independent shops on Church Road, Little Treasures has had its challenges in the past ten years.
Jo has witnessed neighbouring businesses come and go, she said: “I used up all my savings during the pandemic, and it’s a bit hand to mouth at the moment, but I’m still hanging on in and I’m hopeful that it’ll improve.
“A lot of people now do their shopping online, which is terribly sad, because you just don’t have the choice.
“If you come into a shop, you might be looking for one thing, but find so much else that you can look at. It opens your eyes, and it gives customers so much more variety to actually go into a shop and see stuff.”
Despite post-pandemic challenges and rising costs, Jo has kept the shop afloat by supplementing her income with her other job as a carer.
Beyond offering an impressive selection of toys, Jo houses collection boxes for local charity initiatives, is a vocal supporter of the Save Redfield Cinema campaign, and stocks kits for the Church Road Lantern Parade.
Jo’s commitment to community spirit extends far beyond Redfield also, selling toys made by the Ukrainian company Levenya, to help support the war-torn country in any small way she can.
She said: “I sell out almost as soon as I get them, the wooden toys are Cubika, and the puzzle side of their business is Puzzlika, and they are beautiful.”
Jo will be updating the Little Treasures Facebook page throughout June with news other ways she’ll be celebrating.
Carla Wakfer is reporting on St George as part of Bristol24/7’s Community Reporters programme, aiming to amplify marginalised voices and communities often overlooked by mainstream media. This initiative is funded by our public, Better Business members and a grant from The Nisbets Trust.
Main photo: Carla Wakfer
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