Made in Fulham

It never fails to surprise us what a talented bunch you Fulham folks are. Each month Urban Village Ldn introduces you to THe Fulham face behind an idea, product or business and asks them what they love about being a local resident.

This month we talk to Sophia WADE founder of inspire fulham which was launched in 2019 to connect and introduce SUCCESSFUL and aspiring ENTREPRENEURS.

How long have you called Fulham home? Fulham has been ‘home’ for 24 years. I moved here straight after university and never left!

Tell us a bit about yourself and your family. I married my husband just over 20 years ago and just over 15 and a half years ago we had our first boy, Thomas. Followed very quickly ( I wouldn’t recommend 3 boys in 3 years), by Charlie 14 and Jonti aged 12.

What's your favourite local haunt? My favourite haunt is Tinto’s Fulham. I have been visiting there almost every day for 15 years. Originally when the children were very young and it was midway between home and Bishops Park. Later it was on my way to nursery, then Primary School. Now it’s just an escape from teenage hormones.

What's your slice of Fulham heaven and why? My slice of Fulham heaven is my church St Peters. I am a practising Christian and it is an amazing place to deepen my faith and serve this fantastic community we live in.

If you could do one thing to improve Fulham what would it be? I think Fulham need more policemen ‘on the beat’. I would like to see a police station even if it was in one of the many empty retail sites on the Fulham Road.

What's the thinking behind Inspire Fulham? I love connecting people to the benefit of all, there is no hidden agenda. I absolutely love affordable fashion, sport and Fulham. A few years ago I sat in a coffee shop with a friend Johnny and we brainstormed the idea of a new boys school, it would be faith, boys and enterprise. 10 years after that initial conversation The Fulham Boys School is up and running and thriving. We connected a very capable team all with a similar vision and a great school was created. It opened my eyes to what can be achieved when people work together to deliver a goal and fill a genuine gap.

I would like to do the same for Fulham by supporting local entrepreneurs and retailers to support the high street. I would like Fulham to be distinct from other areas in its support of new and pioneering entrepreneurs and pop ups. I hope to create a platform which assists on line and local business’s to connect together and grow. The concept is face to face connections rather than the focus being on line.