When working offshore, Dundonian Ross Kelly had an accident that cost him his career.
The crane operator got his hand stuck under a bundle of pipe.
It severed three of his fingertips.
He was sent home from work in February 2021 to recover from his injuries.
With the country plunged into another Covid-19 lockdown, Ross found himself housebound, bored and depressed.
That led the 40-year-old to revisit an idea he got years earlier about creating gym clothes.
Inspired by the strength of gorillas, Grumpy Gorilla was born. He made sure his products were all produced locally in Dundee.
While it was no full-time job, word started to spread.
“It pretty much instantly did quite well,” he recalls.
“When I say quite well, we’re talking pocket money. But it was nice to have sales, even just to friends and family.
“More than anything, it was helping my mental health since I was stuck in the house recovering from the trauma from losing my fingertips.”
Keep It Local is born in Dundee
Last summer the clothing designer was approached by a local shop owner who wanted to stock his hoodies.
However, the commission he wanted on them was so high he wouldn’t have made any money from sales.
Then he realised he could just open up his own shop in Dundee.
He says: “I got in touch with Steve Grant, who has the brand Our Culture.
“We had coffee one afternoon and told him my idea of having a shop that stocks local brands only, whether it be clothing or crafts.
“That way we can help local designers and cheer up the local community.
“He loved it and in less than a month we had the keys.”
The founders settled on the name Keep It Local and used social media to contact Dundee designers and makers they wanted to stock.
On December 14 they made a Facebook group to promote the shop which quickly gained traction.
A month later it has 2,000 members.
Local businesses banding together
Keep It Local stocks a range of Dundee brands such as HardKore Inc, NinetyOneSpice and Colletta.
Rather than taking commission on sales, the shop charges a weekly rate to stock the products and promote the brands on social media.
Ross says: “We all help one another, they tag the shop in their posts and the shop tags them in our posts.
“We’re aiming to progress their online sales as well. Every single person that’s on board has currently made at least one sale.
“We also offer a click and collect, so the designer can drop the order off at the shop and people can collect it here.
“When they come to pick up, they end up having a browse and seeing everybody else’s products too.”
Aiming to inspire
After a month on Albert Street, Ross is overwhelmed by the support and positive feedback he has received.
“People are really happy with what we’re trying to do for the local community,” he says.
“It ranges from kids to old grannies coming in. They’re all saying it’s great.
“We’re hoping it gives people a confidence boost to try something similar.
“Maybe just light a fire in them and make them say if he can have a clothing brand, I can do that too.”
Opening the Dundee Keep It Local shop has made him realise the scope of local talent.
Now he dreams of seeing the brand grow to other cities across Scotland..
“I would like to think maybe one day Keep It Local could have a shop in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Fife, Glasgow, anywhere.
“If I get an opportunity to open these shops, I would do that.”
