Sedgefield News

Sedgefield Development Trust

This website is a community enterprise, one of the projects of Sedgefield Development Trust Limited (SDT) and is the online version of the Sedgefield News.

Sedgefield News is distributed at the end of every month by a team of over 80 volunteers. This web site is updated on the 1st of each month inline with each monthly edition.

Produced by volunteers for the people of Sedgefield, Bradbury, Mordon and Fishburn

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FRONT PAGE NEWS

It’s probably true to say that for many of us, the market’s safe and successful return to trading has been a beacon of hope at a time when we have been largely deprived of community life. As in so many walks of life, a scheme which requires voluntary effort and cooperation brought out the best in everyone involved - the organisers, volunteer force, stalls team, traders, the friendly COVID-19 stewards and above all, the long, patient queues of customers. We owe them all thanks.

At the beginning of the last, difficult 15 months of lockdowns, came immediate shutdown. However, our market was very much in demand by businesses and customers alike, so during the next few weeks, the rules of the first lockdown were studied carefully. This was followed by a painstaking process of finding a way to bring our familiar monthly Sunday mornings back.

Actually, familiarity was out of the question of course. Even when the weather wasn’t forcing a change of venue, as happened 3 times during the year, anything free & easy about farmer’s market shopping had to change. Sociable Sundays may have been our tagline for years, but now there could only be distanced banter.
First to go were the SDT information and live music tents, the charity stall and coffee wagon - everything that encouraged lingering on the green. Stalls were limited to those considered essential in market terms - food, drink and plants.

Two colleagues were recruited to run the market on the day while the market manager stayed safe in the background to make these arrangements. Stewards provided safe entry and exit points, hand sanitiser and advice. Stallholders asked their customers to order in advance so they could pick up orders and keep moving round the one way system. It has worked and now the market will gradually grow again. Read the full article