Creating routes to employment

Creating routes to employment via markets

Trading Post is a market trading programme that provides support and a pop-up market stall for new businesses in Redbridge to test their idea or sell their product. A new initiative from Work Redbridge, Vision RCL and Ilford BID, the programme has been running for four years in conjunction with the local market operator. The Trading Post start-up market takes place monthly.

Brief

• Support routes into employment across the borough with a live trading opportunity at Ilford market
• Encourage first time traders (primarily) into Ilford market and wider trading opportunities (secondly)
• Add new commodities into the existing market
• Complement the Hub Central business support offer from the council
• Test new ideas for Ilford Town Centre public realm and support regeneration of the high street

 Results

• Those taking part in the programme confirmed that they would not have traded had it not been for the launch of Trading Post and the support around it and found the experience extremely useful 
• Traders continued to work with Hub Central to develop business plans to move their ideas/products forwards
• A new trader workshop and trading manual was developed to support both new traders and the council with delivering the programme
• Four new trader workshops take place annually which are now delivered by the council’s business support team
• To date, approximately 15 people have attended workshops with around five trading. Two of them are still trading in Ilford.