My name is Kerry. I am a 28-year-old mum to two beautiful girls, and this is where my love for parties and events began. The excitement I felt while planning and organising their birthday parties, and when seeing my mood boards come to life in their celebrations, was just amazing.
In 2019, I created my first balloon arrangement and fell in love with ballooning. It felt like magic watching the balloons become art! But believe me, I wasn’t a natural balloonist. I had the passion though, so whenever possible I was practising different techniques to better my skills.
The buzz I got from seeing my daughter’s birthday party come to life also made me want to go bigger. That’s why I started running my annual charity fundraisers!
To date, we have held a Peppa Pig coffee morning for Children’s Aid and a sponsored family fun day for Cancer research. However, due to the COVID restrictions of 2020, we had to cancel our event in aid of Devon Air Ambulance, but then my eldest daughter suggested we could do it online like we do my dance lessons.
And so, with the power of technology we managed to raise £447 for Devon Air Ambulance!
2020: The Year That Changed Everything
I’m sure none of us will ever forget the events of the past year. The COVID-19 pandemic and the repeated lockdowns affected our lives in ways we couldn’t imagine.
Personally, I experienced isolation whilst trying to homeschool and entertain two young children. But what hit me more, was how children were missing out on having a ‘normal childhood’ – going to school and social clubs, having days out at the zoo, taking swimming trips, and simply seeing family members.
If this wasn’t hard enough, lockdown also meant there would be no birthday parties for children to celebrate their milestones – having birthdays with only your household just isn’t the same.
That’s why I wanted to help make local children’s birthday celebrations more memorable and extra special.
During the first lockdown, I offered to make small balloon arrangements for non-contact collection. It put a smile on the children’s faces, and more importantly, it gave me something to do.
I found myself falling in love with balloons all over again – it gave me a purpose and a meaning to live other than being a mum (and thanks to homeschooling, a teacher too).
During this time, my skills and knowledge of balloons grew – my future was now clear, I was going to become a balloon artist and party planner!
How The Stork Brought Me Three Little Kiwis
Three Little Kiwis was born, and at the end of 2020 I started my self-employed journey.
Why the name? I wanted something that people will remember which is also meaningful to me. Three is the number of members in my family, and my beloved late parents used to call me Kiwi. It makes me feel close to them – like they are with me in my career.
With my newly formed business, I managed to produce the grand total of one balloon arrangement before the next national lockdown was put in place.
But I Wasn’t Giving Up!
I researched the government guidelines and found that I was able to stay open for non-contact collection and deliveries. So I did just that.
Lots of amazing local families supported my dream, and soon children all around the Devon town of Newton Abbot were celebrating with freestanding balloon garlands and bouquets.
The Only Way Is Up
I can’t say how grateful I am for all the support my business received during COVID-19, and I am now able to provide much more than just balloons. I can supply outdoor picnics, teepees for hire, and set-ups for pamper parties, among other things.
Earlier in 2021 I even had the pleasure of being invited to create an extra-large balloon garland to fill the reception area of my local hospital for International Nurses Day!
I am so excited to see my business grow further once there are no restrictions in place on what I can offer to the party and event industry. So if you’re based in Devon and need some help with planning or decorating an event or party, do check us out on Facebook and Instagram, or contact us by emailing threelittlekiwi3@gmail.com