A Teenage Market may soon be coming to Barnet, with a crowdfunding project generating a wealth of community support on Spacehive.
As of Tuesday 5 September, the project had received 98 per cent of the total needed to turn the idea into a reality, with 21 days still remaining to find the remaining funds. In total, 94 backers have pledged more than £54,000 towards the project, with £5,000 of this having been committed by Barnet Council through the Barnet Together Fund.
The organisers of the crowdfunding campaign hope to have the market up and running on a monthly basis by Easter 2018, providing market stalls and a sound stage for young people outside of school hours to launch and develop their arts and creative projects.
The funding required will go towards items such as buying extra market stalls, staging and lighting equipment, roofing, licences and any additional costs.
This is the first pledge made by the council since it launched the Barnet Together crowdfunding platform, in partnership with Spacehive in March this year. As well as launching the platform, the council has set aside up to £50,000 to pledge to projects in Barnet, through a partnership between the council, Re, and Capita.
The Barnet Together crowdfunding platform provides residents, businesses and community groups with an opportunity to get their ideas on how to bring people together and make their local area an even better place.
From community gardens and street murals to festivals and sports facilities, crowdfunding allows people to pitch ideas for projects that will improve Barnet's high streets, residential neighbourhoods, parks and open spaces.
Residents, local businesses and community groups are able to post their ideas through the online platform, Spacehive, asking members of the public, government and businesses to pledge funding for the project. Spacehive is then on hand to support groups to run a successful crowdfunding campaign.
The Leader of Barnet Council, Councillor Richard Cornelius, said: “It is great the council is able to assist with projects such as the Teenage Market and I’m confident they will reach their target. This innovative way of getting projects up and running is a positive for the community, and I encourage more people to visit the website with their great ideas for ways they can improve our borough.”
For more information about crowdfunding, and to view the Teenage Market project, visit: www.spacehive.com/movement/barnet-together