What a day! From the very first coffee to the final churro, our Refugee Entrepreneur Trader Market at Chapel Market, Islington over the weekend, was an absolute triumph. Under bright blue skies and our pink and yellow banners, between Baron Street and Penton Street, an extraordinary group of traders came together to share their crafts, their passion, and their stories with London shoppers.
We were delighted to see that every single trader made sales and we hope that the experience will help them all in their future trading endeavours.
We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who came along, supported the traders, and made this event such a success. Your purchases made a real difference, helping refugee entrepreneurs feel confident that they can continue to grow their businesses and thrive in their new home.
The five traders were:
Usman, of Haven Coffee. This ethically sourced, fair-trade organic coffee kept spirits high and hands warm in the bright spring sunshine. Buy yourself a bag of their beans, or other products to support their business, online here to keep on supporting them.
Waheed, of AfghanPure. Cheery chappie Waheed had a fantastic day! Having driven down from Macclesfield, Waheed went to great efforts to make his stall look stunning, and it worked. With a product range including rugs, kilims, cushion covers and smaller items such as jewellery and gemstones, Waheed had something for almost everyone to look at. Waheed is a natural trader - his outgoing nature meant that he was busy chatting, and selling, all day. Explore the full range online here.
Oksana, of Lightcraft Family. From one family to another! Lightcraft Family handmake beautiful wooden nightlight holders with a range of cutout designs including teddy bears and unicorns, hearts, stars, bats and more, to light up the night in your family home. See for yourself in their Etsy shop.
Morteza, of Atiana Jewellery. Morteza’s range of tactile handmade jewellery set with semi-precious stones twinkled beautifully in the spring sunshine. Many of the shoppers who were tempted to try pieces on ended up buying them - a real success for Morteza. Check their Instagram to see the range.
Andrea, of Maxichurros. Looking the part in bright branded Tshirts and caps, Andrea and her colleague brought smiles and sweetness to the streets with their delicious stuffed and classic churros. They were very popular with families! They have no web presence currently.
This unique Islington Borough Council event was delivered by Stir To Action in partnership with The Entrepreneurial Refugee Network (TERN). We’re enormously grateful to TERN for the connection to their network of entrepreneurs, and for their enthusiastic support both in this event and for refugee entrepreneurs more broadly.
This project was funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. Find more information here.
