KELLY Diggle’s fledgling business Cakes by Design is just one of the  businesses joining the Indepenents' Day campaign.

The 38-year-old set up shop in Claughton Street a fortnight ago after deciding to take the plunge and moving her company from her own kitchen to the retail sector.

The campaign, which is running in the Star until July, is promoting the strength of the independent sector.

Kelly, a former probation officer, was given the chance to locate on Claughton Street after St Helens businessman Chris O’Dea, owner of OD’s clothing, revealed he wanted to give an emerging trader a chance to grow.

Kelly said: “Chris tweeted that he was offering the premises for rent at a low rate because he wanted to give someone a chance to build a business like he’d done.

“I’d been making cakes for years since leaving school, stopped for a while, and then started again a few years ago. Since then it has taken off and it was time to branch out.

“We make specialist, bespoke designs – for weddings, birthdays and baby showers. One of the more elaborate cakes was a good luck cake we made for Martin Murray before he fought Felix Sturm. It included a boxing ring.

“The Independents’ Day campaign is a great idea and hopefully it can help boost the profile of businesses like mine.”