Victorian Market wins business prize
THE first Victorian Christmas Market to be held in Stratford-upon-Avon last December has won an award.
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has announced it as the winner of one of its local authority awards.
The market - organised by Stratford-on-Avon District Council, with Stratford-upon-Avon Town Council and market contractors LSD Promotions - has been named the Best Small Business Friendly Campaign from the past year in the FSB's Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull area.
The awards form part of FSB’s lobbying activity to ensure that at every level of government, entrepreneurs are viewed as potential wealth, growth and job-creators of the future.
Across the three areas, 97 per cent of the 50,000 private sector businesses are small businesses.
There were three other awards: Best All Round Small Business Friendliness Award, which went to Warwickshire County Council; Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council won Best Small Business Friendly Procurement Policy; and Marcus Jones, MP for Nuneaton, won the award for Best Small Business Friendly MP.
Sandra Garlick, FSB Warwickshire and Coventry Area lead, said: “Stratford-on-Avon District Council award was for its inaugural Victorian Christmas market, which was a great success for many small retailers despite adverse weather.
"The market attracted significant reach across the UK with people travelling great distances throughout the country to attend."
Cllr Tony Jefferson, leader of Stratford-on-Avon District Council, added: “The judges particularly made reference to this campaign as it supported retail, a sector which generally gets little support.
"With footfall up by a resounding 91 per cent in the town, this certainly gave local businesses a boost at a time of year when trading can be challenging.
“All the councillors involved will be able to acknowledge how bitterly cold it was over that weekend.
"Nevertheless this is a great achievement and credit must go to all the partners involved who worked so hard to make this happen."
This year's Victorian Market takes place from 7th to 9th December.
