What a first week we enjoyed as Love Your Local Market 2023, kindly sponsored by Zapp Outdoor, was celebrated across the UK in some wonderful weather.
Then, over the weekend we saw Graham Wilson OBE, our Deputy Chief Executive appear on a number of ITV regional news programmes promoting the benefits of LYLM at York Market. In addition, Helen Morgan MP, the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities met our Chief Executive at Oswestry Market.
Thank you for all the fantastic pictures demonstrating how markets and communities are celebrating this worldwide campaign.
We have seen markets with themes, music, entertainment, as part of Festivals, fun days and competitions. We have seen Back to the Future, Batman and Robin, Snow White and numerous other characters appear at local markets.
Many markets have picked up the environmental agenda demonstrating how markets encourage shop local and being self-sufficient and environmentally friendly. They promote the food provenance agenda with local food, less packaging and less miles.
We have welcomed the many youth, teenager and school markets. Also the emphasis on local shopping and supporting and encouraging local businesses.
On Thursday we will be welcoming a team from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities to a London Market as they research the value of local markets and the many policy agendas that they meet.
Once again, thank you to the markets, managers, teams and traders for all the efforts going into making LYLM 2023 the best yet. Use the hashtag #LYLM2023 and keep sending us your story.