Hovingham market wins award (From Gazette & Herald)
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Hovingham market wins Yorkshire Farmers’ Market of the Year 2012 award
11:46am Wednesday 10th October 2012 in News
Hovingham market traders celebrate their latest award. Pictured from left, Pete Stark, Richard Wood, Phil Chapman and Mark Woollley
HOVINGHAM’S highly-acclaimed monthly market marked its third anniversary on Saturday with news that it had won yet another prestigious title.
Mark Woolley, chairman of the market group, showed off its latest award – Yorkshire Farmers’ Market of the Year 2012 – given at the Yorkshire Life Food and Drink Awards.
Mark, who runs Country Cordials, said the not-for-profit market had raised £24,000 since it started, through its café in the adjoining village hall.
The parish church, village school and playground had been among the beneficiaries, he said.
“Our latest contribution has been a seat, placed around a tree in the village, to mark our third anniversary,” he added.
In addition, the Methodist chapel has benefited, enabling it, like the church, to carry out improvement work.
The Friends of Hovingham School have used their contribution from the market to provide transport to enable pupils to attend swimming lessons, while the playgroup committee was able to buy new equipment, and the local tennis club was able to re-surface and repaint its court.
“We have also been able to finance new rubbish bins, bee hives, tables for the village hall, equipment for the youth club, re-surface the hall car park, as well as sponsoring this year’s Diamong Jubilee celebrations, and giving a donation to the Royal British Legion,” said Mark.
The markets are held on the first Saturday of the month, from 10.30am, but there are two in December, on the first and third Saturdays to cater for the Christmas trade, but none in January.
Each month a different charity is invited to have a stall, and last Saturday it was the turn of the RNLI.
“More than 100 local volunteers have staffed the market cafés and run the market, distributing literature and selling market eco-bags. The vast majority of the all the produce and items sold, originate from with an area of 30 miles of Hovingham,” said Mark.
“The market, and the café in the village hall, brings people together. Many of our residents really look forward to it as a social event.
“The success of the market is testament to the hard work of our community in helping to run it and supporting it.”
