Chipping Barnet has a historic, but fading market. Young people in the town have a limited outlet for their entreprenurial and performance skills. Let’s bring the two together and solve two problems in one go.
This exciting new crowdfunded project is being spearheaded by the Chipping Barnet Town Team and long-term local resident Bob Burstow who explains how it works.
The traditional market operates at times when young people are in education or getting ready for the day. This project will introduce a new market for the post-school, pre-evening time. It will offer stalls for young people wishing to sell and a sound stage for young people wanting to try out their ideas to a live audience.
Chipping Barnet town centre has taken longer than many to recover from the 2008 recession. At present new owners are re-designing The Spires shopping centre and Barnet Museum is developing the town as a historical centre as it explores the location and events of the Battle of Barnet. The revival of the historic market site will further boost the town centre and provide a more encouraging environment for further improvements.
The money, during the crowdfunding phase (which only runs until the 25 September), is being raised to buy infrastructure such as stalls, staging, amplification, café seating and temporary roofing. It will also fund services for the pilot period: site crews to set-up and take-down, cost of extra policing (if necessary) and cleaning.
The project is a limited 12-month pilot, beginning on the Easter weekend at the beginning of April 2018 and running one teenage market per month. At the end of this period the aim is to realise a self-sufficient and expanding new market for the town and with so many local schools, as well as Barnet and Southgate College, the location couldn’t be better. What’s more, it’s a brilliant way of encouraging young creative talent and help regenerate a town centre at the same time.
You can help by pledging £2.00 through the website before the 25 September deadline. Please encourage all your friends to do the same – community support encourages big businesses to make larger donations.
