Farmer's Market under threat

By Stunning Stonehaven on 11/01/2021

The co-ordinator for the monthly Stonehaven Farmer's Market is looking for someone to take over the role. Maureen Brown has been co-ordinating the market for the since 2005 and has expressed the need to stand down for the past two years. Despite many appeals within the Stonehaven Business Association for someone or a group to come forward to take over, no volunteers have emerged.

Maureen says "I feel that it is now time for me to do this. If no-one from the SBA is willing to be involved with the market or another organisation can’t take over the running of it, unfortunately Stonehaven will not have a Farmers’ Market. It is very popular both with the public and stallholders and would be a great miss for Stonehaven if we have to lose it."

The market has been smaller in the past few months due to the Covid restrictions but there are still a considerable number of enquiries from stallholders wishing to attend and take part.

Maureen also commended The Men’s Shed who "have been invaluable - their hard work and commitment has been of a great help to me, especially over the past few months when marshals have to be on duty for the duration of the market." The Men’s Shed currently manage the setting up and closing of the market.

The market, which takes place on the first Saturday of every month bar January and June, needs an organiser/ administrator to co-ordinate the activities on the day, market planning and administration which would ideally be carried out by a small committee supporting the organiser so someone else could step in if the organiser was unexpectedly unable to do the duties. Maureen would be willing to assist initially with a transition period.

Any individual or organisation who would be willing to discuss the takeover of the running of the market should contact the SBA in the first instance on sba@stonehaven.biz