Bringing markets back to Newport, Isle of Wight

Aim

We aim to bring back markets and trading to the historic county town of Newport on the Isle of Wight.

Newport has lost its market culture, help us to bring it  back!

We are a not-for-profit company that is arranging markets in Newport and on the Isle of Wight and we need your help with costs! 

Why do we believe in bringing back the market to Newport? 

Markets are places full of life and connection and vibrancy where you can directly support your local producers and makers. If you feel strongly about shopping local than where better than at a market where you can buy produce straight from the grower or maker?

We feel that providing a bustling and busy environment at the heart of Newport is especially important at this time where the town is suffering from the loss of many of the large national retailers following the Covid Pandemic. We easily can't bring the shops back to Newport but we can provide market events in the squares! 

Newport is a historic town and markets have been at the centre of its community since the 12th century when Richard de Redvers, the first feudal baron of Plympton, granted the town a market. It is a important part of the town's history and we believe Newport has lost it heart without it.

Shopping outside is a safe alternative for people who may be hesitant about returning to busy indoor spaces after the long periods of lock down and gives people a chance to start to reconnect with each other in the fresh air.

Newport, Isle of Wight is an historic market town where over the years the weekly markets have dwindled. Locals often recall previous heydays when the markets in Newport were a central focus point for the town. There is a sense of decline and lack of community in the town and we feel that bringing back the markets will not only offer people job opportunities but also bring a sense of renewed pride in Newport and its rich history as a county town.

What your help will mean to the community of Newport

Your help and donations will mean that we can put on more markets and events in the town squares and public spaces in Newport and the Isle of Wight which we hope will build community and a sense of belonging. 

We will use the money to 

• Bring markets including Christmas markets in 2021 and 2022 to Newport!
• Cover the costs of putting on markets including the costs of event organisation,  licenses, admin, and advertising.
• Cover day to day costs of running our not-for-profit company such as IT, website hosting, bookkeeping and office rent so that we can continue to work hard to bring outdoor entertainment, spectacle and events to Newport.
• Provide advice and workshops to new traders to help them build their businesses, providing them all the information they need to get started
• Provide support for new traders to help them with costs of insurance, banking and fees
• Create jobs within our company

Our vision is to inspire local Isle of Wight people who are small crafters, makers and producers to set foot on a pathway to self-employment by giving practical help.  We hope to provide opportunities for people not just in Newport but across the whole Island.

Your contribution will enable us to provide training and support  for those who might be thinking about getting into trading. Helping people to set up and showing them the ropes will provide an opportunity to people who may desperately be looking for a new income following unexpected unemployment following the Coronavirus pandemic. 

Markets are very accessible and the town squares in Newport offer excellent accessibility to those using mobility scooters or mobility aids. Our markets aim to be as inclusive and accessible as possible giving everyone the chance to enjoy the community spirit of the events as well being a great alternative to superstore shopping.

About Market Days CIC 

Market Days was set up as a not-for profit organisation to provide economic opportunities for people living on the Isle of Wight in the wake of desperate economic downturn due in part to the Covid pandemic,  and to help regenerate the historic county town of Newport. It was incorporated in November 2020 as a community interest company which means that all profits and assets from the company will be used for the public good and there are no shareholders. 

Who are the Market Days CIC directors? 

Our core values are 

• To support and educate entrepreneurs and new traders
• Assist in the setup of new micro businesses on the Isle of Wight
• Promote the use of market trading to grow enterprise and act as a pathway of self-employment. 
• Help to promote local businesses by creating dynamic town centres
• Create and maintain vibrant markets which attract people to town centres for shopping and leisure
• Catalyse community regeneration in Newport by restablishing a sense of  identity and belonging by re-connecting people with the rich market heritage of the county town. 
• Provide opportunities for entertainment, exhibition, and spectacle in Newport by organising and supporting cultural events. 

This project successfully funded on 16th October 2021