HENFIELD firm Popagami attended its second event in Downing Street to celebrate the fifth annual Small Business Saturday.

One of the small businesses selected for the event, Popagami has transformed traditional origami, creating bespoke and themed designs which can be used as finger puppets, head masks and everything in between.

Brian Smith from Popagami said: “This is my second visit to No 10 as a small business delegate!

“Next time I’m aspiring to be there as a medium-sized business.

“It’s been great meeting all the other SmallBiz100 people.”

Last year customers spent £717 million in their local small firms on Small Business Saturday alone.

Figures released show the UK had 5.7 million small businesses at the start of 2017 – nearly 200,000 more than in 2016.

The number of small businesses in the South East has increased by 29,800.

The businesses were welcomed by Stephen Barclay, Economic Secretary to the Treasury and Baroness Fairhead CBE, Minister of State at the Department for International Trade.

Stephen Barclay said: “It’s been great to welcome so many business owners to Number 10 to show our appreciation for the crucial contribution they make to Britain.

“Small businesses are vital to a thriving and competitive economy that is fit for the future, so it’s great to see that the number of small businesses in the UK has been growing in recent years.

“We hope the country will join us in championing the UK’s small businesses.”

Small Business Saturday is a grassroots, not-for-profit campaign, originally founded by American Express in the U.S. in 2010, which remains the principal supporter of the campaign in the UK as part of its on-going commitment to encourage consumers to shop small.

The campaign also benefits from the backing of leading business organisations including the Federation of Small Businesses and Enterprise Nation.

Small Business Saturday takes place on the first Saturday in December each year but the campaign aims to have a lasting impact on small businesses.

Bognor Regis’ Town Centre Manager Toyubuh Rahman said: “It’s hugely important for people to support local high streets and town centres.

“In this day and age it’s very easy to sit on your sofa, pull out your laptop and order everything online.

“What you get with independent shops you get things you don’t normally see. You also get expert knowledge from smaller retailers.”