Hello! 🙂
I’m Melissa, the Founder and Director of The Bejewelled Academy.
I have always been a creative individual and enjoyed making things with card, paper and other craft materials when I was younger. As I grew older, my creative side was buried by the busy-ness of wanting to pursue a corporate career, whilst handling the other responsibilities that came with adulthood!
A few years later an unfortunate turn of events led me to explore this side of me again, as a means of focus and therapy. It was then that I rediscovered my passion for creativity and eventually setup my own jewellery making business. While doing this, I setup small jewellery making workshops in my studio space in order to have another stream of income. I then expanded my offering to more than jewellery making, but a range of different creative workshops and in short, this is how The Bejewelled Academy was born! I have now been running The Bejewelled Academy for well over a decade and have had the opportunity to work with a number of organisations, including Great Ormond Street Hospital, The British Museum and a wide number of local authority establishments, to help develop life and work skills, build self-confidence, promote family-learning and develop new artistic skills for wellbeing and therapy. In addition to this, I have mentored young people and adults who have needed support on their own start-up journeys. This is something I continue to do and is a great passion of mine.
I have always been passionate about using my skills and experiences to reach others and I doubt this will ever change. I am now a mum of 3 and I absolutely love seeing my children grow and develop. The new experiences I have gained through motherhood, as well as my work with children and young people, inspire new and innovative ideas for workshops, courses and other means of teaching and learning.
The journey to setting up this business has been both challenging and exciting. I have truly come to value the beauty of creating something from nothing. This is also why I am so passionate about our clubs, workshops and courses – and constantly expanding and developing the learning experiences that are offered through The Bejewelled Academy.
You can find out a little more about me at the links below
Melissa Doussey
Starting From the Bottom Up:
https://www.hackneygazette.co.uk/news/melissa-doussey-how-i-overcame-tragedy-of-my-dad-s-3575760
Surviving the Pandemic:
Melissa’s Pandemic Palava – a story of faith and resourcefulness
Community Work:
A Huge Thank You for Your Kindness at Christmas
A Feature in Anorak Children’s Magazine:
A screenshot of one of my pieces online, as stocked in ASOS at the start of my business journey!