A community-based gift shop started by a crafty nan is up for best gift shop in England.
Sakina, 80, opened Dry Rain in Islington, Liverpool seven years ago to make self-healing and spirituality accessible and affordable to all.
Dry Rain won the title of ‘Best Gift Shop in Merseyside’ at the England Business Awards in Manchester in July this year after her grandchildren nominated her.
Sakina said: “The night was absolutely fabulous, we were up against two massive shops we thought we didn’t stand a chance, but we won.”
The nomination of the best gift shop in the country followed the regional victory. Sakina’s family and friends showed immense support as well as her regular customers expressing their pride to her.
Before the crystal shop, Sakina worked decades in the art and sewing industry, working in factories at 15 and owning textile businesses since her 20s.
She has had artwork of her own exhibited in the World Museum and was the brains behind one of Liverpool’s first murals.
Her tranquil, artful shop carries a plethora of crystals, incense, gifts, ornaments, and handmade jewellery from the shop floor centred around self-healing and relaxation.
Fakhira, Sakina’s daughter, who works alongside her mum and brother in the store, said: “Mum’s always been arty and all I’ve ever known is her with crystals.”
Sakina takes inspiration for her calming shop displays from infertility and her past artistic work, including a piece displayed in the assisted fertility unit in the Liverpool Women’s Hospital.
Throughout her career, Sakina has consistently given back to the community through an abundance of raffles and fundraisers – including raising money for a local girl to help with her football placement in Canada by dressing up as a chicken and charging 10p a ‘quack.’
In the past seven months, the team behind Dry Rain have raised £900 for local causes by hosting and attending jumbo sales and selling second hand clothes, pots and pans and donated pieces from the shop.
During the COVID lockdowns, Sakina made masks for those working on the front line at the Royal Hospital opposite her shop.
Sakina said: “Rather than just sitting at home, I had a room full of fabric and I thought I’ll make a few masks and it just snowballed from there, I made over 2000.”
When restrictions lifted Sakina said nurses would come into the store on their breaks to say thank you and express their love for them.
Her decades of artistry and experience in the self-healing realm as well as her kind nature in giving back to her community landed her the nomination for best gift shop in England.
The Business Awards took place on Sunday – however Sakina and her family were unable to make the awards therefore are anxiously waiting for the all important result.
Watch Melanie Dook’s video report here:
Featured image (c) Melanie Dook
