Did you know that Ruddington Village Market offers opportunities for young people aged 16 to 30 who’d like to start their own market stall to sell something that they make?
The team at Ruddington Village Centre Partnership (RVCP) – which runs the monthly market on The Green, as well as other spin-off village events such as Makers’ Night – is now looking for the next person to join its ‘Young Entrepreneurs Programme’ for the first half of 2022. Working with local businesses this gives two young people every year, who have a great idea for a stall, the chance to try it out, with some great benefits. You could receive:
FREE coaching for two months before your first market, including business start-up and brand coaching, in association with WigWag- book-keeping and stock control coaching, in association with Black Cat Accounting
- social media and sustainability coaching, in association with The Bottle Top
- A FREE stall at Ruddington Village Market for one month, followed by three months at just £5 pitch fee per market
- On-site market support
- Follow-up coaching after your first market
The scheme runs two cycles per year, with each cycle sponsoring one young person through RVCP’s coaching, mentoring and market programme. Applicants do not need to come from Ruddington, but you do need to live in Nottinghamshire and be between 16 and 30 years-old. Submissions for the latest opportunity close on November 30th 2021, with the candidate selected by RVCP in December, coaching during January and February and then your own Ruddington Market stall in March, April, May and June 2022.
The first person to benefit from the scheme was Lucy Finch – the owner of ‘In the Mix’ – a small brownie business which she started in July 2020. She’s currently studying at Nottingham College for her A-levels in Biology, Chemistry and History but also wanted to pursue her market stall idea.
“In the Mix was getting quite popular so I thought I would try out a new challenge” explains Lucy. “During this project I received mentoring from four local business owners: Steve from WigWag (website and logo), Julie from Black Cat Accounting (accounts and also preparing me for market stalls), Alex from The Bottle Top (social media and sustainability) and Stella from RVCP (regarding public liability insurance). During this process I learnt the important things to run a business more professionally, met new people of all ages and also gained more followers in the process.”
Lucy adds: “My favourite parts were the market stalls and the feeling after they were finished, as it is really rewarding when people choose to purchase your product, which took time to make. I definitely would advise others to apply for this project. I think it’s such an amazing opportunity, especially if you are a new business, as it allows you to speak to experienced and successful business owners. It does really have an impact on your business as a whole.”
YOU could be NEXT! You can find all the details of how to apply to be a Ruddington Village Market ‘Young Entrepreneur’ >>HERE<<. Please remember the deadline for applications is Tuesday 30th November 2021. Good luck!
