A cuppa with the ladies behind Lil

To celebrate International Women’s Day, we’re going behind the scenes at Lil HQ to find out more about our very own women in action - Founders Sarah Bronsdon and Louise Hastie and what makes the Lil magic happen.

What is Lil all about and what does it mean to you?

SARAH: Lil is about taking the next step towards a lower impact lifestyle. It might be your first, tentative step or a more experienced stride. We are here to make it easier. It is our mission to promote positive, convenient and achievable Lil steps which reduce individuals’, families’ and communities’ negative impacts on our environment. Our long-term vision is to make Lower Impact Living so easy that everyone is doing it.

 LOU: Lil to me is a friendly space, where we work alongside our community to maximise our positive impact on the planet. It's friendly and a great laugh - there's always some banter going on! The backbone of our work is that it's non-judgemental and supports change without being militant.

When it comes to Lil work, how would you describe yourself? 

LOU: We were once described as quietly militant, which made my family laugh. I'd never been described as quiet before. Affably militant – perhaps! But I'd say we're friendly and passionate about doing our bit.

SARAH: Lou says I just want to get muddy! I’m happiest outside in nature, or helping people appreciate and connect with it. I’m an aspiring minimalist (read ‘recovering hoarder’ - it might be useful one day!), a hippie-at-heart and a bit of a worrier. That concern has crystallised to motivate me to do something about my impact on the planet and help others do their bit too.

What did life look like for you, before you set up Lil?

SARAH: My background is in the environmental and conservation policy sector with jobs with Scottish Natural Heritage (now Nature Scot) working on farmland habitats and also the Scottish Government coordinating the drafting of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy. From there I stepped across to the then, Heritage Lottery Fund to work on their landscape partnership programme - big projects across large geographical areas from Dumfries to Orkney. When the kids started school, I jumped the fence to support applicants in project design and development as a freelance consultant. I dragged Lou in to help on a big marine interpretation project and that sparked the idea that we should join forces and work on what we are passionate about - Environment and Community.

LOU: I was a Community News journalist In Australia and did a stint in communications with UNICEF Bangladesh. When I moved to Scotland I worked with the Heritage Lottery Fund - Sarah interviewed me for my temp post there! That temp role lasted years, and I got to work with some amazing organisations in community development, in natural heritage and diverse cultural heritage. When the kids came along, working in Edinburgh was less appealing. Sarah by this stage was a consultant in East Lothian, and we had the chance to work together on a few projects before deciding we really wanted to take the leap into our own project. Lil was born back in May 2018.

You’re a pretty awesome double-act. What different strengths do you each bring to the business?

LOU: HA! We're forever arguing in circles because we convince each other of the opposite point of view. We're both good at saying yes to a fun project and know that we somehow can make time. We both try to do better at being realistic about time commitments! Sarah is a consummate professional and sharpens up my rougher edges. She has a great eye for design and detail. She has remarkable diplomacy and is passionate about promoting and protecting nature. She definitely has the green thumbs of the team. 

SARAH: We are quite different and I think that’s why it works so well! Lou is vivacious and amazing with people - her enthusiasm and can-do attitude are infectious. I am more cautious and prone to procrastination but I like to think I add environmental knowledge and an ability to step back and look at the longer game.

Tell us about your team… 

LOU: Beyond Sarah and I, we have an incredible core team of volunteers that help both with the day-to-day running of the Hub and consult in some areas of the business. We'd be lost without them. Our volunteers who help at events are invaluable too. We're so lucky to have such a great support crew around us. 

You must have faced a few challenges in your Lil journey – what were these and how did you overcome them?

SARAH: A start up is always going to be hard work! I think we’ve faced and overcome some very significant challenges in our almost 4 years in business. The Coronavirus pandemic has affected everyone and for us it was an opportunity to support our community with doorstep deliveries. It did mean we missed out on all of the events we would normally have done - important for meeting people and the income they generated. We also didn’t have premises at this point and were working out of our homes. My breast cancer diagnosis in 2020 added a further element to the challenge; for me to try and keep working and for Lou to pick up the load when I couldn’t. We couldn’t utilise volunteers or employees as we didn’t have premises that would allow us to work alongside people under Covid restrictions. So, in the middle of a pandemic, with cancer, we ran our Crowdfunder and raised the funds we needed to open the Hub. It’s typical of our way of working - challenges are there to be overcome. And we can do that because we are such a great team.

LOU: Working from home during lockdown was definitely tough. We were inundated with orders and unable to bring in help to fulfil them. Between home school and the hundreds of lines of orders to fulfil, I'd be working until the small hours and back up at 5am. I remember being covered in flour a lot of the time! During that time Sarah was diagnosed with cancer and began her treatment. We crowdfunded while she was undergoing chemo… she really is a superwoman.

The Lil Hub has made a huge difference to what we do. It’s the focal point for our retail work, where we can show people alternative products and systems that don’t cost the earth. I'm constantly inspired and humbled by the team around us, by our customers and our community.

What has been one of your biggest Lil wins? 

LOU: When we were Crowdfunding and 4J Studios said they'd support the Lil Hub with a grant to make that a reality. That was huge. I was speechless, teary and garrulous. It wasn’t my most coherent phone call! The feedback from the Lil ReUse Festival was another very special moment for me. Speaking to people who wouldn’t otherwise have looked for second hand, seeing the benefits to their pockets and the amazing quality of gifts and more that they could take home, it was incredible.

SARAH: Secretly, for me it’s winning a red rosette at Haddington Show for the best trade stand! Last year’s big beach clean was our first and I was really proud that we got 62 groups out all along the coast from Cramond to Berwick-upon-Tweed. Hopefully this year will see even more beaches, rivers and coastline cleaned. 

What long shot have you taken that really paid off?

SARAH: Our Crowdfunder to raise funds to open the Lil Retail Hub and allow us to build the Lil Community. It was a big gamble. We launched the Hub in November 2020 wondering if people would support us or be saving their money for Christmas. It was during the pandemic and I was undergoing cancer treatment and so we even had to make the video for it in separate locations and then edit it together. But it was a gamble that really paid off. We are so grateful for everyone’s support. It has enabled us to grow and engage volunteers and help more people do their Lil thing.

What does Community mean to Lil?

LOU: Lil is ALL about community. It's about sharing our tips and tricks to make lower Impact living our new norm. Together as a community doing Lil things we've prevented more than 1 million bits of plastic from entering the world. That's not a feat we could possibly achieve alone and shows the impact of what we can do when we do Lil things together. My house and the Lil Hub are both currently choc-a-block full of donations for Ukranian refugees. The Lil Community are freaking AWESOME. Generous to a fault. Not sure what Dave's going to say when he sees his lack of house - again! 

SARAH: Everything! We are only here because of the Lil community, their support for, and belief in what we do. We chose to be a Community Interest Company to make it crystal clear what our purpose is. Our litter blitzes on the coast and in Haddington have further shown how much impact we can have when we come together in action.

This year you’ve collaborated with some fantastic women-led local businesses – tell us about them…

LOU: We love working with other purpose-driven organisations and enjoy mutually supportive relationships with a number of local female-led ventures; We work hand-in-hand with Phantassie Organic Produce in East Linton who supply and deliver wonderful fruit and vegetable boxes to your door along with any other Lil products ordered at the same time. Groundswell Scotland is another amazing venture, using the sea, surf, play and community to help women overcome trauma. We love working with them to promote ‘No Plastic November’ among their community too. 

SARAH: We’ve run fabulous wreath-making workshops with Debbie at East Lothian Flower Farm and act as a collection point for her flowers to order, as well as stocking her surplus bulbs. We’re really passionate about supporting local producers and suppliers and stock products from many women-led businesses in East Lothian and wider Scotland. 

What does the next 12 months hold for the Lil team?

SARAH: I really want to get back out there. Covid has really constrained our ability to run events and activities and meet people. We hope to expand the Lil team - both staff and volunteers - and take the Lil approach across East Lothian. Reaching out with projects like the Reuse Festivals, Lil Library of Things and The Big Beach Clean are great ways to bring the county together in action.