A North East brewery has launched a crowdfunding campaign to "secure the future" of the brewery, as it begins preparations for the end of lockdown.
Hops & Dots is an independent brewery that was founded in Middlesbrough in 2018 by John Chester and Hugh Grime. Mr Chester is known for his knowledge of braille and how it is produced.
The company has recently moved to a new base in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, where the company now has its own taproom and is incorporating as much braille as possible into its site to make it as accessible as possible.
But despite moving to a new site and installing its own canning machine to allow it to compete with bigger breweries, Hops & Dots has said it has still suffered due to Covid-19 and lockdown.
The brewery is now looking to raise £4,000 through crowdfunding platform Crowdfunder to help secure the future of the business and "take Hops & Dots to the next level".
In a statement, the company said: "As we set up our new brewery and taproom we want to expand our approach to making everything we do as accessible as possible.
"We also intend to become a community-focused business that engages with our local people, especially with those who experience sight loss. As a small operation we haven't kept up with demand with regards to the hops and the dots as much as we had planned, but we hope both of those things change very soon!
"There have been a lot of changes at Hops & Dots recently, and with the Covid-19 pandemic decimating craft breweries up and down the country, we need your help."
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It added: "This past year has been incredibly difficult for the brewing industry, especially us little guys. With pubs that we rely on to sell our beer being closed or very restricted with how they can trade, we lost a load of revenue, which we’ve done our best to recover through our online store and direct deliveries, but this isn’t how breweries sell most of their beer.
"Our move to Bishop Auckland sees us sharing a space with our friends at Caps Off Brewery, and feels like coming home to us; we want to be a thriving part of the local community and share our #CraftForAll ethos across the country.
"We’re looking ahead to the future and pubs being able to open inside again this summer (fingers crossed), and want to make Hop & Dots the very best it can be - from our beers, taproom space and events, to our commitment to making craft beer more accessible, especially to those with visual impairments."
Hops & Dots has already raised 60% of its target, with fans of the brewery pledging £2,427 to the business.
There are still 34 days left of the crowdfunding campaign and those who donate to the campaign can receive a number of rewards.
Pledges start at just £1 and those who donate can receive £1.50 credit in the brewery's taproom for every £1 they donate.
Those that pledge £10 or more can receive £15 online credit for the business' webshop, while £20 grants them access to one of Hops & Dots Beer and Braille evenings or a limited edition T-shirt.
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At the higher levels, a pledge of £260 will see the customer rewarded with a year of beer, while donating £500 will allow you to hold a private party for 20 people at the taproom with three kegs of beer to enjoy.
Those who wish to donate to the crowdfunding campaign can do so at .