Page 41 - Market Times August 2021
P. 41

MARKET TIMES • AUGUST 2021 41 Traders take the helm at Kirkby
 Lonsdale
 Joe Harrison
and Paul Laycock
TRADERS at Kirkby Lonsdale Market in beautiful South Lakeland have stepped up to the plate after the private operator running the market pulled out unexpectedly.
The Cumbrian market has undergone a revival after the CIC (Community Interest Company) responsible for the market appointed a private operator that introduced new traders to the popular Thursday marketplace.
All seemed well until the traders were shocked to discover that the private company was pulling out. Paul Laycock, who sells second- hand books and runs a jigsaw exchange service on the market, said: “The CIC were very good and were consulting with traders who were uncertain about the future of the market,” he said.
Paul was a new trader. “I retired as a company director of an IT education support company on a
Friday at the end of July last year and on the Thursday I started trading on the market,” he explained.
Paul really enjoys the outdoor life selling secondhand books in support of his wife who runs an independent book shop in the town.
“The traders let the CIC know they were very keen for the market to keep going,” Paul said.
Dating from a charter granted in 1127, it is a much-loved part of life in Kirkby Lonsdale and the community had welcomed the new- look market which had doubled in size last year.
The traders and the CIC sought the advice and support of the NMTF. Over many years the federation has helped traders across the country set up trader-run operations and CEO Joe Harrison and Field Support Officer Brendan Dyson shared their expertise with trader representatives.
“After the private operator pulled out the CIC managed to access some gazebos to rent and the traders worked together to ensure the market kept going. They have since invested in 20 gazebos as part of the agreement,” Paul said.
Traders formed an NMTF group and submitted an expression of interest in taking over the running of the market. The CIC informed the group they were the preferred
operator and once the paperwork was sorted through UK Co- operatives, the traders took charge officially, with July 15th the first trader-run market day.
“Our constitution says the market will be run by traders for market traders and the community,” Paul said.
“We know there will be hard times as well as good times, but things are looking good and everyone is positive,” he added.
 Young Traders Market 2021 is well under way and heading for national final in Stratford-upon-Avon
THE NMTF’s Young Traders Market 2021 got off to a fine start with the first of seven regional finals held in the North West, where the new Warrington Market provided an impressive backdrop.
Other regional events have been held at Westminster (London and South East); Newcastle upon Tyne (North East); Wells, Somerset (South West); and Doncaster, South Yorkshire (Yorkshire and Humber). The final two are taking place at Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk (East of England) on Au- gust 3, and Wolverhampton (Midlands) on August 7.
They followed many local Young Traders Markets staged by operators throughout the country.
The Young Traders Market programme aims to encourage young entrepreneurs aged 16-30 to use markets as a platform to start or grow their business.
And everyone has their eye on the national final which will be held on August 27 and 28 at Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire.
It is there that on the Saturday afternoon
The first of the YTM regional finals was held in Time Square in front of Warrington’s excellent new indoor market
    judges will spend a couple of hours choos- ing winners in the four categories — Gen- eral Retail, Arts and Crafts, Food and Drink, and Grocery.
This will be followed by the name of the overall winner — the Young Trader of the
Year.
NMTF CEO Joe Harrison said the fed-
eration was grateful for and pleased with the support the campaign had received from so many market operators, not least LSD  Promotions who have worked closely with Stratford’s local councils to ensure a smooth final.
“This is now a major operation and we have a lot of people to thank for all the help they have provided,” he said.



































































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