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Regenerating the Town Market
Becoming a Market Trader Course
Attleborough Area Partnership, Norfolk
A Unique Course for Crafty types,
Budding entrepreneurs, Small holders/growers & Antique & Bric-a-brac dealers
Attleborough has been holding a
weekly Thursday Market in the town since 1285! However in recent years,
similar to many other traditional small market towns, it has been declining.
It is generally recognized, that
when town markets dwindle, there is a damaging effect on the town & local
community itself.
To address this,
Attleborough Area Partnership decided to run a training programme to
encourage more local people to sell their produce on the weekly market.
Crystal Clear Training was
approached by Lindsay Abel, Co-ordinator of the Partnership in January 2006,
to design and run a series of workshops about market trading and the
business skills associated with selling.
The
programme started in July 2006, and was aimed specifically at crafty types,
budding entrepreneurs, smallholders/growers & antique & bric-a-brac
dealers. We helped them develop the skills they needed, to enable them to
turn their hobbies into a successful market business.
Eleven people completed the
programme of various different ages, (including Ridley the guide-dog, who
was only two). The group quickly formed a very strong bond, and there was a
lot of encouragement and support from within the group itself,
“I made new friends with positive outlooks. I even had barter sessions with
other people.”
said Sue Peck.
This was particularly
in evidence at the first “Doing It For Real” market, where several people
ran joint stalls together, supporting and encouraging each other further.
Since the course, they have formed their own networking group, an on‑line
Yahoo Newsgroup, and can regularly be seen at Attleborough Town Market on
Thursdays.
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“The project
has been a huge success!
Since the end of the course, several people have run stalls every market
day.
Local residents are commenting on how good Attleborough Market now is. I
have been contacted by several new market traders (and some old ones
wanting to come back), wanting to have a pitch on our weekly market.
Also, other craft people have been inspired
by what they have seen, and now want to have a stall themselves.
We are defiantly thinking of running the
course again.”
Lindsay Abel
Attleborough Area Partnership
“Our
traditional market towns are suffering from the effects of ‘out of town
shopping’.
We need to do something about that before its too late! Markets are ideal
places for new businesses to start up.
Market towns are vital to
rural communities and the local economy.
We designed this course
specifically to encourage local people to start in business and help the
whole community....”
Lee-Anne Francis
Crystal Clear Training
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