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Region
London: Hackney and Islington
Key Coverage Areas
Hackney, Islington, Stoke Newington, Dalston, Highbury, Finsbury Park, Angel
Franchise Potential
Full-Time
Baby Classes in Area
NCT Hackney and Islington, multiple independent baby class providers, family centres
Setup Cost
£5k - £10k
Status
This region is available
Why Hackney and Islington
Hackney and Islington have undergone one of the most dramatic transformations of any London boroughs over the past two decades. What were once gritty inner-city areas are now among the most desirable places in the capital for young families. The median age in Hackney sits at just 33, and the borough's birth rate remains one of the highest in inner London. Islington adds a professional, affluent dimension with its Georgian terraces around Highbury and Angel attracting families who want city living without sacrificing space.
The parenting culture across these boroughs is engaged, community-driven, and independent-minded. From the coffee shops and delis of Stoke Newington, often called 'Nappy Newington' by locals, to the creative parent communities of Dalston and the professional families of Highbury Fields, these are parents who actively seek out meaningful, handcrafted products for their children. The Memory Catcher service fits this audience perfectly.
Baby classes across Hackney and Islington are thriving. NCT runs well-attended groups across both boroughs, and a wide range of independent baby sensory, music, yoga, and development classes operate from community centres, church halls, and private studios. The density of venues in this compact urban area means a franchisee can attend multiple sessions per day without long travel times between them.
What makes this territory particularly compelling is the combination of high birth volumes, engaged parents, and London premium pricing. Hackney's diversity and Islington's affluence create a broad customer base, and the tight geography keeps travel efficient. This is a territory where a Memory Catcher can build a full diary quickly.
The Opportunity
What does a Memory Catcher actually do?
It's simpler than you might think.
You attend baby classes, events, and community groups across your Hackney and Islington region. You meet parents, build genuine connections, and capture their babies' tiny handprints and footprints using our specially designed kits. That's your bit done.
Everything else - editing the prints into beautiful artwork, creating proofs, liaising with customers, foil printing using our exclusive Foil Fusion Technology, framing, packaging, and shipping - is handled entirely by us.
You focus on the smiles and the connections. We take care of the rest.
Your role
Attend baby classes and community events
Capture babies' handprints and footprints
Build relationships with local families and class leaders
Grow your presence across your region
Our role
Capture personalisation details through our upload portal
Edit prints into professional, print-ready artwork
Send proofs and manage all customer revisions
Foil print using our exclusive Foil Fusion Technology
Frame, package, and ship directly to customers
Handle all customer service and aftercare
There are no products to store, no orders to fulfil, no customer emails to manage. Your entire focus is on being present in your community and creating those magical moments with families.
What You Could Earn
Real numbers from a real business
These figures are based on our founder Ashley's own verified data - averaging £237 per class visit over three years of attending baby classes, whilst simultaneously running the entire business and raising two boys.
As a Memory Catcher, your only job is the bit Ashley squeezes into her spare hours. You'd have the time and focus to do significantly more.
Part-Time
~10-15 hours per week
Regular sessions around school hours. A genuine income that fits around family life. Your 40% share: £1,650-£2,450 per month / £19,700-£29,500 per year
Full-Time
~15-22 hours per week
Building your presence with multiple sessions and exploring new opportunities - nurseries, private bookings, local events. Your 40% share: £2,450-£3,600 per month / £29,500-£43,400 per year
Scale
~22-30 hours per week
For the ambitious. Going all in with multiple sessions daily, private bookings, events, and partnerships. This is a serious income stream. Your 40% share: £3,600-£4,900 per month / £43,400-£59,000 per year
These hours include everything - travel, setup, the session itself. And "sessions" doesn't just mean baby classes. Creative Memory Catchers build relationships with nurseries, book private home visits, attend craft fairs, and find opportunities we haven't even thought of yet. The more creative you are, the more you can earn.
All of this fits around school hours. Sessions typically run from 9.30am to around 2pm - perfect for drop-off and pick-up. Evenings and weekends are entirely optional.
And unlike most flexible work, this isn't a ceiling. Hackney and Islington's population and community culture mean there's genuine room to grow beyond even these numbers if you want to.
Your region, protected
Your Hackney and Islington region covers Hackney, Islington, Stoke Newington, Dalston, Highbury, Finsbury Park, and Angel. This is your exclusive area, and no other Memory Catcher will operate here.
Baby classes and community touchpoints already active in your region:
NCT Hackney and Islington
Independent baby sensory and music classes
Children's centres and family hubs
Community centres and church halls
Library baby groups and family centres
Hackney and Islington's parenting communities are tight-knit and recommendation-driven. The independent culture here means parents actively champion local businesses they believe in, and word of mouth travels fast through the baby class networks.
What's Included
Everything you need to get started
Your £5k - £10k investment covers everything required to launch and grow your Memory Catcher business in Hackney and Islington.
Hands-on training with our founder Ashley, including shadowing at live classes so you can see exactly how it works before you go solo. You'll learn how to capture perfect prints, build rapport with parents and class leaders, and grow your presence across your region.
All the professional equipment and branded materials you need - kits, display materials, business cards, and everything required to represent The Bespoke Foil Company at classes and events.
Exclusive rights to operate as the Memory Catcher across Hackney and Islington. No competition from within our own network.
You're not on your own after training. Regular check-ins, marketing support, co-investment opportunities for local advertising, and access to our growing franchisee community. Plus, with Ashley based nearby, Manchester franchisees benefit from direct, in-person support that most regions simply can't offer.
This isn't a concept - it's a tested, data-backed business with three years of real revenue behind it. You're buying into something that already works.
Who We're Looking For
Is this you?
We're not looking for salespeople. We're looking for genuine, warm, community-minded people who love connecting with families.
You might be a brilliant Memory Catcher if you:
Love being around babies and new parents (obviously)
Want flexible work that fits around family life
Are naturally warm and approachable - the kind of person people open up to
Care about doing something meaningful, not just earning a wage
Are self-motivated and comfortable building your own presence locally
Live in or near Hackney and Islington and know the community
You don't need:
Sales experience (you're not selling, you're helping families preserve memories)
Business experience (we provide the model, the training, and the support)
Design or creative skills (we handle all the production)
What you do need is heart. The ability to walk into a room full of new parents and make them feel at ease. The kind of warmth that makes someone trust you with their baby's tiny hand for five minutes. That's it.
If that sounds like you, we'd love to hear from you.
Interested in becoming Hackney and Islington's Memory Catcher?
We'd love to tell you more. Fill in the form below and we'll be in touch for a relaxed, no-pressure chat about whether this could be the right fit for you.
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Or if you'd prefer, drop us an email at hello@thebespokefoilcompany.co.uk - we're always happy to answer questions.
