Earth Day spring fair at Wesley Centre in Elmswell near Bury St Edmunds

A Suffolk mum who is passionate about small businesses is encouraging shoppers to support a spring fair near Bury St Edmunds, later this month.

Taking place on Saturday, April 22, which is Earth Day, the fair at the Wesley Centre, in Elmswell, has been organised by Heidi Ellender, 50, and her sister Sarah Forderer.

In lockdown the pair teamed-up to start their business, Earth Lover, and in 2022 hosted a successful Christmas fair.

Monday to Thursday, Heidi, of Elmswell, works for a global financial firm, and since she was 16 has travelled to London every day.

She sees Earth Lover as ‘something she has done for herself’ and enjoys the challenge of working on the business with Sarah each Friday.

Heidi said: “Earth Lover is about being eco-friendly but also about being kind to each other.”

Both Heidi and Sarah are married to South Africans. The wildlife in South Africa and across other countries they have visited, has inspired them to protect the environment - one of the reasons they decided to create Earth Lover.

Earth Lover sells products sourced from environmentally friendly companies: items available to buy on their website range from clothes and jute bags to hand wash and deodorant.

Looking to the future Heidi would love to increase Earth Lover’s own product range by making beauty products, such as lib balm.

The two sisters have also discussed running a mini retreat and even an annual festival.

As well as introducing more people to Eco Lover, Heidi hopes the spring fair, will give other small businesses the perfect platform to sell their products. Honey, gin, candles and olive oil skincare products, will be just some of the items sellers will be showcasing to new customers.

The event on Earth Day, will have an ‘eco-feel’ and many of the sellers will be selling sustainable items.

Still relatively new to small business, the mum-of-two said sellers should not be disheartened by bad sales days.

Each month Heidi and Sarah have an Eco Lover stall at Wyken Vineyards, near Stanton.

She added: “The lessons I have learned are you need to talk to people, and be thick skinned to a certain extent.”