Save The High Street Hounslow: meet our start-up competition winners!
As part of Save The High Street Hounslow, we recently launched a special start-up competition in partnership with Hounslow Council that set out to find three businesses that wanted to bring to life their big ideas for Hounslow’s high streets.
Each of the winners would receive:
We’ve now reviewed all applications and are excited to announce three new start-ups that’ll be launching in Hounslow very soon.
So, without further ado, let’s meet our winners!
Introducing: AbayaTopia by Zeenat Choudhury at The Treaty Centre
AbayaTopia is an online modest fashion brand, owned by Zeenat Choudhury, that specialises in bayas, kimonos, hijabs, jilbabs, maxi dresses and other modest fashion.
AbayaTopia was set up just four years ago and is already well on its way to becoming one of the UK’s leading modest fashion brands, attracting over 50,000 followers on Instagram alone.
And now, thanks to Save The High Street Hounslow, Zeenat is ready to bring her business to the high street, where she’ll set up her very first physical store in The Treaty Centre in Hounslow.
You can find out more about AbayaTopia at abayatopia.com.
Introducing: Kidwise by Sumera Kidwai at Hounslow House
As a qualified genetic scientist and science teacher, Sumera entered our competition to launch Kidwise: her idea for a brand-new social enterprise business that brings science to the high street for children and families in Hounslow.
Kidwise would fill a vacant unit in Hounslow with a custom-built science lab where kids could attend fun-filled workshops in a safe and supervised environment.
Sumera’s dream was to bring science to local children who otherwise would not have had the opportunity to experience the subject in a fun and exciting way.
We loved this idea so much that we’ve worked with Sumera to bring her idea to life in Hounslow House, where children of all ages — and their families — can now visit Kidwise and take part in hands-on science experiments with a qualified scientist.
You can find out more about Kidwise, and book your place at one of their workshops, at kidwisegroup.com.
Introducing: DanTheBikeMan by Dan Barnett at The Centre Feltham
Our third and final winner is Dan Barnett, who currently operates as a mobile bike mechanic serving Feltham, Hounslow and the surrounding areas.
Dan entered our competition to test his idea for a permanent bike repair workshop in Hounslow in response to the closure of Halfords on Staines Road and the recent investment in cycling infrastructure by Hounslow Council. He also wanted to create a one-stop-shop for local cyclists where he could share his passion for cycling and encourage others to get out of their cars and onto their bikes to help make Hounslow greener.
To make these ideas a reality, we’re excited to announce that DanTheBikeMan will be launching in The Centre Feltham where he’ll be offering his usual bike repair services, plus running a bicycle training course and selling brand-new bikes. He’ll also be joined by local street-food brand, JJ Ceylon, who’ll be running a café alongside his pop-up.
You can check out Dan’s website by clicking here.
From idea to reality
So, there we have it: AbayaTopia, Kidwise and DanTheBikeMan are our winners! Over the next month or so, we’ll be working with them as they bring to life their big ideas for Hounslow’s high streets.
Don’t forget to pop into The Treaty Centre, Hounslow House and The Centre Feltham to show them your support!
