Make Do & Grow is a not-for-profit social enterprise based in Govan, Glasgow.
We exist to support local families, develop creativity and encourage reuse practices.
We have a children’s shop and Toy Library located on Burleigh Street and Govan Road respectively. Our shop offers quality, affordable pre-loved clothing and toys. It’s also a space for parents, carers and children to connect through play and creative classes.
Our creative classes encourage the development of critical creative thinking. We teach basic skills in drawing, paper crafts, sewing, photography, and much more. Our classes emphasise sustainability — giving new life to scrap materials in ways that can be replicated at home.
We deliver activity across Greater Glasgow and beyond, but our core is firmly rooted in Govan. We continue to learn and grow from the wonderful multicultural community of families around us.
Our Origins
Make Do and Grow was founded by Kaytie Lilley in 2017. Here’s what she has to say:
“My motivation for Make Do and Grow was borne of frustration at the seeming lack of both creative activity and quality clothing for my children, at an affordable price range.
I grew up in a low-income family where bags of second-hand clothes and drawing paper taken from the back of cereal packets was the norm. I wanted to encourage this low-cost, creative reuse ethic with my own children. However, I found that finding quality pre-loved clothing and toys was a challenge.
Make Do and Grow was created to fill this gap — a place combining quality and affordability, with the spirit of creative ingenuity that is good for people and the planet.”
Our Values
We want to see an inclusive, supportive and connected community of families, which encourages creativity to flourish from a young age and actively helps to protect the environment.
Enabling Creativity:
We believe that everyone is creative. Problem solving, imagination, expression, making connections, seeing patterns and generating solutions are all aspects of creativity, not simply the ability to make something aesthetically pleasing.
The process of creating is good for well-being, personal development and strengthening relationships.
Everyone should the opportunity to nurture their creativity. We offer free workshops and play sessions where children learn to engage from a young age. Parents and carers are encouraged to join in with activities and enjoy the family time together.
Building Family and Community:
We want our services to be accessible to all local families with young children, including those families on low incomes. We are always mindful of ways to be more inclusive, and have plans to improve accessibility for those with additional support needs, as well as families new to Govan.
Reducing Waste:
Waste reduction is intrinsic to our organisation. By taking donations of quality second-hand goods, we help to reduce the amount of waste that goes to landfill each year.
The majority of crafting material we use comes from donated household waste, such as kitchen roll tubes, cardboard boxes and plastic containers.
We are also working towards a fully circular recycle practice, whereby clothing donations which are unsuitable for resale are up-cycled — that is, given a new life as a crafting apron, or a cleaning cloth, or anything else we can think of!
Our Toy Library shelving is reclaimed wood. Boxes, bags and even membership cards are all made from recycled plastic.