Kitty’s Launderette
On a cold Saturday afternoon in January 2016, artist Grace Harrison was sitting in a launderette. As she sat alongside her neighbours and watched her laundry spin in the machine, she thought about how this warm and accessible place could be brought to life; and how the underused space had so much potential to be a place where people come together and do more than just their washing.
Since that first idea a small team of Liverpool residents have come together to reimagine the launderette, as not just a place for laundry but a place for social and creative activities. From film screenings and local history groups, to crafts and ironing clubs, they will be serving up coffee, conversation and free wi-fi.
Over the last three years the team have worked to develop their plans for the social business, based in the Anfield/ Everton area of North Liverpool, choosing a worker-community cooperative business model, in May 2019 they opened their doors for business.
The launderette is named in honour of local historical figure Kitty Wilkinson, who was instrumental in the movement to open up the first wash house in the country back in 1842 in Upper Frederick Street. As part of their work they’re delivering a National Lottery Heritage Fund social history project, with University of Liverpool PhD. student Kerrie McGiveron, telling the untold stories of Liverpool’s laundry life.
Since 2016, Grace has been the project coordinator for the launderette and first took the idea to the Beautiful Ideas launchpad programme in February 2016.
Talking about gaining a place on the programme Grace said “Having support at such an early stage of the project was the catalyst for us, helping us gain confidence in the idea and going on to seek further support from Power to Change, Liverpool John Moores University and the School for Social Entrepreneurs.”
Speaking about the project Grace said “We liked the way Erika and Nicola worked with the launderette team, they made the programme fit around our business model, rather than us having to fit around the programme and we still call on them for advice today.
“The support we’ve had from The Beautiful Ideas has gone hand-in-hand with the support we have received from our peers. Local social enterprises such as Homebaked, Squash, Homegrown Collective, The Rotunda, The Florrie, The Ralla Ecological Garden, Stanley Park CIC and so many more. We’re all becoming part of a new eco-system, changing the culture of the economic regeneration from competition and competitiveness to one of collaboration and cooperation.”
The Kitty’s Launderette team took the keys for their building in March 2018 and went on to raise £20,000 from a crowdfunding campaign in June 2018 for the cooperative, from 366 backers.
The week before it opened the launderette won its first contract with a Liverpool-based care home and has partnered with local cycling organisation, Peleton — also a social enterprise — to provide pedal-powered deliveries to its commercial customers. It’s already hosted a series of films, talks and family-friendly events, with plenty more in the pipeline, and is fast becoming a social hub for people in North Liverpool.
