'Don't Look Into the Abyss': How two local businesses have adapted to the pandemic
In Issue 1 of Greater Govanhill community magazine, Mina Baird spoke to MILK cafe and Category Is Books to find out how they adapted - and re-adapted - the way they serve the community during difficult times.
Charlotte and Fionn Duffy-Scott, founders, Category Is Books
by Mina Baird
Photos by Niall Miller
Many independent businesses have been having a difficult time over the past few months, many having to close their doors entirely. But despite the challenges, some have found new ways to adapt and be there for their communities.
Both ‘MILK’ (a social enterprise café on Victoria Rd which aims to improve the experiences of refugee and migrant women living in Glasgow) and ‘Category Is Books’ (the queer bookshop on Allison Street) had to close to customers between March and August. I spoke with their founders to hear how they have managed to keep going, changing up their offering in order to keep serving their communities.
MILK launched a Crowdfunder before the furlough scheme was introduced, raising more than£10,000 from over 300 supporters. “We were really fortunate to have so much support in the local and national community,” says Gabby Cluness, co-founder. While closed, staff members were voluntarily cooking for one of Glasgow’s homeless shelters, and with volunteer support they are still providing 60 meals a week for people staying in hostels.
When Category Is Books closed its doors, founders Charlotte and Fionn Duffy-Scott
shifted their focus to book deliveries. They did this “so that people could still have access to queer books (as well as the joy and culture they provide) without needing to leave their homes.”
They ran a pay-it-forward shelf before the pandemic hit; people would buy books in the shop and leave them on the shelf for others to pick up for no-charge. When the shop closed, they moved this ‘shelf’ online. People can now pay into a ‘queer book fund’, and when someone orders a book they can use the phrase ‘bookcode solidarity’ to have the cost covered by the fund.
“It's been especially important this year as people are both struggling financially” say Charlotte and Fionn. “And a lot of local libraries are still closed. Since March, we've sent out over £3620 worth of queer books to people, and both the fund and shelf is still used each week.”
Businesses started to tentatively reopen when the full lockdown lifted, but have had to find different and creative ways of operating. When Category Is Books reopened, the bookshop was redesigned to be ‘inside out’ so that stock could be browsed from outside without needing to come in. Books can now be bought through the ‘book kiosk’ (a hatch in a Perspex screen).
The founders explain: “Before COVID times, people often spent a long time in the bookshop, hanging out, seeing friends, drinking tea, and it could get particularly crowded at the weekends. When we reopened, we wanted to make sure that people would still be able to get the feeling of browsing, and of being around the books and being around each other, but in a way that was safe.”
Angela Ireland, co-founder, MILK
MILK reopened as a takeaway venue in August and has since re-started a sit-in option. But social distancing rules mean the café can only fit two tables safely. They also launched a supper club at the start of August, which has proved very successful, with the café offering takeaway dinners from different cuisines every Thursday and Friday.
The cafe started out with the cuisines of their volunteers’ countries of origin but has now branched out further. Staff have been doing lots of research to ensure the recipes are as authentic as possible, given budget and location constraints. So far, this has included dishes from Belarus, Sichuan and Sri Lanka.
“Juggling the café, homeless shelter and supper club is now quite difficult,” says Gabby. “But we are just trying to make everything work and get through winter relatively unscathed.”
For both MILK and Category Is, planning for the future is difficult in these uncertain times. But they are trying their best to keep going and to ensure that they are able to support the people involved and the customers they serve.
For Charlotte and Fionn, keeping community going is important: “Sometimes it feels like the best thing we can do is just take time to chat to somebody, ask how they are and check in – but also, making sure we are actively making the space for being joyful with one another.
“Aside from the pandemic, it’s been a very difficult year, especially for the transgender community. So, we want to try to give people moments of queer joy where we can. This includes making time to listen, giving someone a plant cutting, a free sticker, adding little notes and drawings on book deliveries, and being extra thoughtful about recommendations.”
While at MILK, Gabby says that she and co-director Angela Ireland have tried to create a space where the women they work with feel as little stress as possible. She adds, “We have all been trying to keep calm and get through each day and continue to enjoy the nice bits of life. ‘Don’t look into the abyss’ – that’s our new company policy.”
