NABMA announce the winners of the Blachere Market Awards 2018

NABMA announce the winners of the Blachere Market Awards 2018

The National Association of British Market Authorities (NABMA) have revealed the winners of the 2018 Blachere Market Awards at their Annual Conference and AGM currently being held in Stratford upon Avon. The event has attracted a record number of attendees this year and the highly prized awards were announced last night.

Krys Zasada Award for Outstanding Service to the Markets Industry
Created as a legacy to NABMA’S former Policy Officer, Krys Zasada, who died of cancer, and sponsored by Manchester City Council where Krys worked for a number of years, this award recognises outstanding service to the markets industry.
This year’s recipient is Patricia Lennon of Real Deal
Patricia has contributed much to markets through her support of the fledgling Love Your Local Market (LYLM) Campaign, with promotion and design of the LYLM logo, and the tremendous work she has done in creating a campaign to prevent the sale of fake and counterfeit goods on markets. The Real Deal Charter has now been adopted by hundreds of markets across the UK and gives consumers greater confidence in shopping at markets.
Blachere Markets Manager of the Year
Award Winner: Richard Beddard from Stockton Market
Richard Beddard has been Manager of Stockton Market for six years and during this time, Stockton Market has won several national awards. Richard has shown himself keen to develop professional standards in both management and trading through his attainment of the NABMA Markets Diploma and the introduction of an accredited market trader qualification. He maintains an excellent relationship with traders (often being on call 24/7) and has done much to incentivise new traders. A key part of Richard’s work is introducing a number of fresh marketing initiatives to ensure that the market offer is kept vibrant.
Blachere Market Team of the Year

Joint Award Winners: Ely Market & Cirencester Market

Market Teams come in all shapes and sizes. In making this award the judging team look to see what impact the work of a Team has made on their Market. On this occasion there was a split decision by the judges and there are two award winners.

The first is to Ely Market Team who continue to provide a vibrant and diverse market offer with the regular markets being supplemented by themed markets including, a Flavour of the World Market, a Vegan Market and Summer Lates. Recently Ely has launched a series of Mini Markets encouraging people to shop more thoughtfully. A very determined approach is made to reduce the amount of plastic with shoppers encouraged to bring their own reusable bags, cups and containers. The Ely Markets Team have demonstrated that the market is so much more than a business, successful though it is as a business, and that being part of Ely Markets is to be part of a family.

The second award goes to Cirencester Market Team where a regeneration scheme in 2016 provided an opportunity for the Community Services Team to regenerate the Market. These efforts are now showing very positive results with the hard work from the team producing significant increases in stall numbers on market days with a waiting list on one day. Also, there is successful partnership working with a number of local businesses and stakeholders to produce a wide variety of different themed market events. The revitalised markets offer has been shortlisted for a number of awards and has been featured in various market publications.

Blachere Market Innovation of the Year
Award Winner: Temporary Contemporary at Queensgate Market, Huddersfield
Temporary Contemporary is an innovative partnership between Kirklees Council and the Huddersfield Market traders, the Schools of Art, Design and Architecture of the University of Huddersfield. It is focused on placing contemporary art within vacant spaces within the Queensgate Market. There are three distinct exhibition spaces each with a programme of curated projects and the bringing together of all these elements allows for new ideas to be tested and for audiences to experience something new. There are planned monthly evening events combining networking, private views, life performances with links to local and national events. Queensgate Market will soon be known for its contemporary art as well as good local produce. This was a very difficult section to judge with a number of outstanding entries.
Blachere Young Markets Champion of the Year
Award Winner: Julie Gemino, Manchester Arndale Market
The NABMA Diploma course has shown that there are many capable up and coming market officers and this award seeks to recognise one of these officers and encourage the future generation of market managers. Julie Gemino has only been working in markets a short time, but she has already made a great impression with traders, managers and members of the public. She started out as a “floating assistant manager” but has now been promoted to Assistant Manager of Manchester’s flagship Arndale Market. In support of her nomination Julie’s manager wrote “Julie is proactive, diligent and her ability to learn new skills and exceed expectations continues to inspire others around her.”
Graham Wilson, CEO of NABMA said; “It is extremely heartening to have received so many excellent entries for this year’s Market Awards. It is a very positive sign for markets across the country that we have such committed, hard working individuals, teams and initiative who are focused the continuing success and revitalisation of markets.
“NABMA would like to express its sincere appreciation to Manchester City Council for the sponsorship of the Krys Zasada Award and Blachere Illuminations for the sponsorship of the Market Awards 2018.”

We welcome news stories, job vacancies and tender opportunities from our members for publication. If your market has some news to share, please email support@nabma.com

Shopping Basket