London,
06
December
2016
|
11:33
Europe/London

Sadiq Khan launches Well Street Market

Well Street Market launched on Saturday 3 December following a successful crowd funding campaign by local traders and residents to create an innovative community street market.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Wayne Hemingway MBE joined hundreds of local residents at the revived historic London market, which sells fresh produce, street food, arts and crafts on the first Saturday of every month.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said:

“Markets are about people coming together to have a go at making a business and doing something that creates jobs, growth and prosperity.

Politicians don’t create jobs, prosperity or wealth. But we can create the environment where people can flourish and thrive and do well. That’s why we’re crowdsourcing ideas and we helped crowdfund to make Well Street viable and successful.”

Wayne Hemingway MBE said:

“Markets are a place where people can have a go for a small amount of money and can often move onto bigger things. My wife and I came to London from working class backgrounds in Lancashire and emptied our wardrobes onto a market stall in Camden. From there we went on to employ 300 people in London. It all came out of being able to have a go on a market stall with no experience. It’s the best training ground you could ever get.”

Visitors were entertained by local acts and established artists at the market’s music stage. Headline act Norman Jay MBE had hundreds of people dancing in the street to his mix of funk, house, soul and disco. Despite the rapidly plummeting temperatures, his closing selection of drum’n’bass classics had everyone shouting for more when his set finished at 5pm.

Kay Richardson, WESTRA Project Manager, said: “Well Street Market is a creative community hub that supports and nurtures locals. Local bands, singers and DJs can book performance slots – visit our website and get in touch.”

Well Street is home to London's first ever Student Makers Market where local designers benefit from free stalls and training, and a Teenage Market where young entrepreneurial Hackney residents can book free stalls. Nathaniel Mills-Jones and Oliver Daly from local youth club Hackney Quest took advantage of this opportunity.

Oliver said: “I’m thankful to be part of the regeneration of Well St Market. It’s giving us young people opportunities to become entrepreneurs and to learn how to handle business and handle money.” Nathaniel said: “It’s about regenerating Well Street. It’s about teenagers actually coming together to do something positive. We all need to start working together.”

 

Well Street Facade Transformation | Camille Walala x Colour Your City | Hackney, London, UK from Paul Hulligan on Vimeo.

As she officially opened the market, Speaker of Hackney, Rosemary Sales, said:

“I’d like to thank the local people at Well Street Traders and Residents Association for their initiative in getting this going. This is the culmination of five years of campaigning by WESTRA and has led to a great partnership with the council. My parents in law used to come to this market many years ago. But we’re not just reviving something old; with the student and teenage areas we’re doing something innovative and new. It’s fantastic.”

Well Street market runs from 9am to 5pm on the first Saturday of every month. The street is also home to an eclectic mix of shops, cafes, bars, restaurants and independent pubs.

All pictures courtesy of Oliver Rudkin.