As beloved online store We Are Not A Shop soon closes its virtual doors, Laura Bonnici chats with founder Lady Stephanie Laing as she reflects on We Are Not A Shop’s journey over the past four years.
When Lady Stephanie Laing and her late husband, Sir Martin, first visited Malta, it wasn’t long before they fell in love with the island’s rich history and way of life.
Stephanie’s connection to Malta was deeply personal from the outset. “My late father had been in Malta with the RAF during the war and when Martin retired, we decided to visit – and our brief holiday turned into a new way of living! We loved the people, the heritage and the crazy, never-a-boring-moment lifestyle, and before long volunteered to help save St Paul’s Pro-Cathedral, which was in a crumbling state. The Cathedral is such an important part of Valletta’s iconic skyline, as well as our own lives,” she recalls, referring to the Save The Valletta Skyline Appeal, which successfully raised €9 million.
Soon, Stephanie’s philanthropic ambitions extended beyond traditional fundraising, tapping into her passion for design, having previously restored and styled property in the UK and abroad. “To help with fundraising, I organised a small ‘open day’ at a farmhouse in Wardija, assisted by Vanessa Dowling, whose father was a childhood friend,” she explains. “The day was fun and successful, and inspired me to set up an online shop.”
The concept was simple yet innovative: an online store offering a carefully curated selection of unique new and antique items, with every cent donated in exchange going directly to charity, with absolutely no operational costs deducted. “Looking back, it was probably complete madness – but somehow it worked and grew, with advice and help from lovely people along the way such as Jo Caruana, who from the very beginning encouraged, but also occasionally gently managed to rein me in!” Stephanie smiles.
She launched We Are Not A Shop in 2020 – affectionately known among its committed team and loyal customers as ‘WANAS’ – just before the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite Stephanie’s self-professed aversion to social media, We Are Not A Shop thrived, becoming a beloved fixture for customers near and far. Over the following four years, We Are Not A Shop has offered everything from modern and antique furniture to jewellery, artworks, gifts, first-edition books and Melitensia, supporting two vital Maltese charities: the Save The Valletta Skyline Appeal and St John Ambulance and Rescue, a volunteer organisation providing first aid and rescue services across the island. To date, We Are Not A Shop has raised almost €200,000 for these causes.
“That we’ve been able to help two Maltese charities is something of which we’re all immensely proud,” says Stephanie. “All money comes in the form of donations, with 100 per cent going to the charities. Nothing is taken out for overheads, which is something I wanted to ensure from the beginning.”
The journey, however, was not without its challenges. “Having the idea of setting up We Are Not A Shop was the easy part! Making it work was more difficult, particularly in the early days, before generous supporters heard about us and donated items. The team of helpers couldn’t come to the office during the pandemic, but as we were garnering plenty of interest online, orders continued to trickle in and I walked to the office to check that everything was okay. I’m amazed that we not only kept going but also now have customers based all over the world – across Europe, the UK, America and Australia!”
We Are Not A Shop’s closure is bittersweet, she confides. “Taking the decision to close our virtual doors due to ill health has been extremely difficult for me. But it’s comforting to know that we’ve supported the exceptional humanitarian work of St John Rescue and Ambulance, along with helping to raise the funds needed to save the cathedral’s steeple.”
Stephanie is quick to acknowledge the team that made We Are Not A Shop possible, including Ann Caruana Montaldo (Marketing and Administration), Online Shop Manager Vanessa Dowling, Lisa de Georgio and Caroline Vassallo (administration), with Marius Zulgis and Dave Alan Caruana providing IT support. “We are a loyal, committed and tight-knit group, alongside all the other wonderful people who quietly volunteer their help when it’s needed. We’ve helped each other through some tough times and laughed through some very happy and silly times,” she says fondly. “I think we’ll all miss the fun of being together.”
For Stephanie, We Are Not A Shop has not just been a charitable endeavour; it has been a way to give back to the island that has given her and her late husband so much. And as the last day of operation approaches on 17 December – offering Christmas shoppers until then a wide range of gift options, from antique collections to stocking fillers and decorations, jewellery and more – she hopes its impact will live on, both through the causes in Malta it has supported and the inspiration it may have provided for future philanthropic projects.
“It’s been an extraordinary adventure, and I’m so thankful to everyone who has supported us along the way,” she concludes. “Having spent a great deal of my childhood with my grandparents – my grandfather being a country Anglican priest – I learnt that one of life’s great pleasures is not just in taking, but in giving back. We Are Not A Shop has shown that, with a bit of creativity and a lot of heart, it’s possible to make a meaningful difference. I hope that doesn’t sound too ‘goody two shoes’, because I’m afraid I’m not!”
For more information and to make final purchases before 17 December, visit www.wearenotashop.com.
