New street market in Chichester is proving a huge success

Thousands of people flocked to Chichester city centre on Sunday 7 November, to experience the city's newest street market, delivered by Chichester District Council as part of its campaign to support the high street.

As well as offering a variety of stalls, street food and children's entertainment, 'The Cross Market & More', which was held in North Street and East Street, gave local students from Chichester and Brinsbury Colleges the chance to showcase and sell their products at the market.

A group of college apprentices had been working on upcycling and completing unfinished student projects, such as small furniture items, and turning them into sustainable products to sell.

The event also featured 15 stalls from Petworth Pop-Up's 'On-Tour' who provide a space for makers and creators to showcase and sell their work.

"It was fantastic to see so many people in Chichester on Sunday, having such a wonderful time," says Cllr Alan Sutton, Cabinet Member for Housing, Communications, Licensing and Events at Chichester District Council.

"This is exactly the sort of destination market we wanted to bring people into the city centre and the reaction from visitors and traders alike was superb. I spoke to lots of people, many of whom had travelled some distance to attend this event, including from Brighton, Surrey and Hampshire. They all said how much they had enjoyed it and what a great atmosphere there was. One said that it was the best market that they had ever been to, while another lady said that their granddaughter had arranged for their whole family to attend. There really was something for all ages.

"Most of the stallholders, who were selling a range of products including crafts and gifts, food produce, beauty and homeware had sold out by the end of the day, which was wonderful.

"What I found especially touching was the reaction of some of the students who were showcasing and selling their products for the very first time. Two of the entrepreneurs became emotional at the end of the event, because it had given them a taste of what they had achieved and what the future could hold for them. Visitors also loved the flash mob of dancers from the college who appeared three or four times throughout the day.

"This truly was a fantastic event, which was enjoyed by all, and we would like to thank everyone for coming out and supporting it. The Council's Events and Promotions Officer and our Farmers Market Coordinator worked really hard to pull this together and they were both extremely delighted with the response. We now hope to repeat this around three to four times a year."

Helen Loftus, Acting Principal at Chichester College, said: "Our students thoroughly enjoyed being given the opportunity to take part in such a brilliant community market.

"It was great to see so many of them taking part, showcasing their hard work and selling products they have made - as well as entertaining the visitors through flash mob performances, which brought a fantastic atmosphere to East Street.

"We had some really lovely feedback from shoppers. I know our students learnt a lot from the experience, and I hope we'll see this become a regular event."