Community Market launches at Tulse Hill

Local residents are bringing street food, organic produce, handmade products, affordable gifts and custom-made furniture that showcase local skills and culture to a brand new market next to Tulse Hill station, which is jointly sponsored by Southern.

The majority of the traders are Lambeth people who are on benefits and who need to test-trade locally to develop their businesses. They are being joined by Tulse Hill Forum, Norwood Forum and the West Norwood and Tulse Hill Business Improvement District.

Local social enterprise, Tree Shepherd, was awarded money by the Mayor of London’s High Street Fund to deliver the market, known as “Twist on Station Rise”. The rest of the funding has been raised by donors and the traders themselves pledging for their stalls via the Spacehive crowd-fund platform. The three trading zones will be the broad pavement to the right of the station, Station Rise, and inside The Hub coffee-shop at 357 Norwood Road.

The major sponsor is Southern, which also offered land space for the market to be setup. Supporting partners include Lambeth Council, The Hub at Tulse Hill, West Norwood Tulse Hill BID, Tulse Hill Forum, Norwood Forum, Norwood Action Group, Tree Shepherd and the Lambeth Forest Enterprise Network.

Lydia Gardner, Lambeth Enterprise Manager for Tree Shepherd, said: “Tulse Hill Station area has seen commercial neglect / empty shops in recent times, yet there is promise of major redevelopment in the area with a new gyratory, shops and identity. We wanted to seize the opportunity this presents for local people to be entrepreneurial, particularly the long-term unemployed. The market on Station Rise will help strengthen community cohesion and sustainability.”

Tulse Hill Station Manager, Stephen Lethorn, said “At Southern we are committed to putting our stations at the heart of local communities. The market offers a great opportunity for local people to promote their goods to those passing through the station, whilst helping to bring everyone from the area together.”

Twist on Station Rise will be held on Thursdays from 15.00 – 20.00 to try and catch commuters as they return from work. Initial dates for the market are:

• 17th December 2015,
• 28th January 2016,
• 25th February 2016,
• 31st March 2016,
• 28th April 2016, and
• 26th May 2016.

Permanent traders include Lorraine Duncan with Knitwhizz toys and clothing, Gemma Tulse with Spotty Duck handmade gifts, Fiona Arekelian with vintage clothing, Sofia Sheakh with Rotimaster No.53 and Mark Falconer with Fresh Soup and rolls – to name just a few.

More details be found at www.twistonstationrise.co.uk, @TwistRise on twitter or Twist Station Rise on facebook.