Ilford High Road London Borough of Redbridge

03 Feb Routes to employment via markets

Posted at 20:49h in Enterprise, Markets, Retail by

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 was trialled in December 2016. With some adjustments to the programme, 2017 continued as a test opportunity and the scheme is now fully rolled out in conjunction with Amber Markets (a market operator in Ilford). 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 per year which are now delivered by the councils business support team
  • To date, approximately 15 people have attended workshops with around five trading. Two of these are still trading in Ilford.