EVOLVE awards Brown Books founder £10,000 Social Entrepreneur Grant
Earlier this year, Bedfordshire based women’s membership organisation EVOLVE launched a £10,000 Social Entrepreneur grant for those looking to drive a new businesses forward, or kick start a business.
Seven women applied and following a robust interview process, the grant has been awarded to Mariana Brown, founder and director of Luton Literature and Brown Books secondhand community bookshop.
EVOLVE is a Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation (BLCF) initiative launched in 2018 by Chair Viviane Vayssieres and last year, awarded bursaries worth £16,000 to help women to retrain, upskill and start a business.
Lady Clifford Patron of the Charity said “The Trustees were impressed by the ingenuity and energy of the contestants. Social entrepreneurship creates lasting social change through business, benefiting the local economy whilst inspiring and empowering the community to participate in its prosperity ”
Mariana, known as Maz, launched Brown Books in April this year as a pilot project through Luton Literature CIC and with the support of Luton Community Arts Trust. The aim is to provide a space where children and adults alike can experience the joy of reading and access pre-loved books easily and affordably. Importantly, the shop stocks book published by local authors and provides a space for literature based events and activities; storytelling, readings, poetry nights and book clubs, to name a few.
2024 will kick off with regular shop visits by small groups of children from Richmond Hill School, allowing SEND children to experience a bookshop environment and Luton Literature will be delivering the ACE and Luton Rising supported Storytelling Project from January.
Luton Literature and Brown Books also use the bookshop and their activities to support Luton Libraries, No Ordinary Bookshop who specialise in books that are aimed at Luton’s diverse communities, and to support other events locally – including Christmas in High Town this year.
Mariana said “I’m absolutely delighted to have been awarded the grant. This will allow the bookshop project to continue into 2025, enabling more time to develop the project further and secure the bookshops long-term future. The last nine months have been really successful in demonstrating the value it adds to High Town and Luton, and I’d encourage anyone and everyone to pop in and have a look around and see for themselves why it’s such an important initiative.”
The grant panel comprised of EVOLVE Trustees and Business Advisor Paula Devine, Head of Membership & Global Trade Services at the Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce, were unanimous in their finding. President Pauline Stewart said “We were all taken by Maz passion, drive and vision, she is the most deserving winner. We loved Brown Books concept and its community appeal which fit perfectly with our criteria!”
With £10,000 Maz also receives complimentary EVOLVE and Bedfordshire Chamber of Commerce memberships, 12 month IT support from Yellowstone, and professional mentoring from the EVOLVE trustees.
We are most grateful to London Luton Airport Ltd for their sponsorship.
Maz has also been nominated for Entrepreneur of the Year at the Love Luton Best Awards 2024 and will be speaking at EVOLVE International Women’s Day (attended this year by136 women) on Thursday 7 March 2024 at Barnfield College.
