“I DO really enjoy running the business and it’s only helped that it’s in a town I’m really enthusiastic about.”

The words of gift shop owner Lara Schwab sum up her feelings towards her home town and her passion for local businesses.

Lara has lived in Whitehaven her entire life and has been running Little Whims on 45 Market Place since 2017.

What originally started as an online gift shop has flourished into a store front well known to those within the community.

Little Whims specialises in quirky and often handmade gifts and hampers filled with care.

“It’s the little and unusual things that you haven’t really seen in other shops we try to have," said Lara.

“I love the market where we’re situated and I love all the town’s history, it’s really a lovely town to have a business,” she said.

Lara said the best thing about owning Little Whims was getting to know the customers.

“That’s something I’m really enthusiastic about, and of course I also like meeting tourists from outside the area and getting the chance to talk about the area to them and tell them about the history of our town.”

When asked what set the business apart from others, Lara said: “Our passion for the area and the loyalty from the customers that support us.”

Lara’s love for the town shows itself through her hobbies, which include regularly organising the Whitehaven Ship-Shapers, an environmentally conscious volunteer group that helps tidy up litter from parts of the town in need of a sprucing up.

But Lara’s environmentally friendly work is not just a weekend hobby. Her business looks to operate under similar sustainable models.

“We try our best in terms of operating under an environmental stance and we use recycled products when we can," she said.

“At the moment, we’re re-gifting toys as keyrings and all profits from these items go towards beach clean-ups in Cumbria.”

As Lara looks ahead, she hopes to bring the business back up to full-speed pre-pandemic levels.

“We’re trying our best to continue to be supported by Whitehaven and to try and continue to support the town of Whitehaven anyway we can,” she said.

With Mother’s Day round the corner, Little Whims will be offering various bespoke gifts, handmade cards, uniquely crafted mugs to help mark the occasion for that special Whitehaven mum.