Market tradersteam up to help raise £30,000
KIND-HEARTED traders at one of Glasgow’s most famous markets want to help a charity every week for the next year.
Stallholders at the Forge Market in Parkhead are all contributing to Charity 52, which was started last week.
They have all joined forces to raise £30,000 for local and national charities.
Each week, a charity will be invited into the East End market to raise vital funds.
The market will then host a tombola with all the stallholders contributing and money raised from tickets go to the charity.
Forge Market manager Jim Smith said: “We are the biggest market in Scotland and we have been here for 22 years. We want to give a wee bit back to those who have kept this place going and we are doing that through charity.”
He added: “Everyone of the 115 stallholders donates something every week for 52 weeks.”
Charities have been contacting the market to bid for a fundraising week. So far Marie Curie has benefited from the Charity 52 scheme raising £629 during their fundraising week.
In coming weeks, other organisa- tions such as the Schiehallion Appeal will come into the market where they will be given a charity unit to sell their tickets out of.
Jim said: “We do everything for the charities, we collect the prizes from the stallholders and they come in with it all set up.
“They are allowed to bring their own items too as the more they bring, the more money they can make.”
Jim explained that it is something he had wanted to do after a unit became available within the Forge Market.
He said: “We initially planned to do it for one week but then I thought why not do it for 52 weeks – it has never been done before.
“Can you imagine the charities that will benefit from that? We hope it will get to the point that it is the really local charities who take part. That money could be lifechanging particularly for a local charity.”
He added: “The customers love the tombola and the stallholders have been brilliant.
“Even the stallholders who sell things you can’t easily donate like beds have brought in something every week for the tombola.”
To donate or put you charity forward, e-mail Jim.Smith@ groupegeraud.co.uk