A group of Manchester schoolchildren, who have been learning about where their food comes from, put their new-found practical skills to good use and sold what they’d grown in aid of FareShare Greater Manchester.

The Young Marketeers, who come from nine local schools, have had lessons about cultivating food on veg plots and grown their own produce over the past six months. All their hard work culminated in a very special market day last week as they sold what they had grown on Market Street in Manchester city centre.

Taking their produce to market

Dozens of children staffed the stalls, which were beautifully adorned with all their prized produce and artwork, engaging passers-by and selling their fruit and vegetables to passing shoppers. There was a lot of variety to choose from on the stalls from potatoes and carrots to apples and even bees wax products.

The schools taking part in the Young Marketeers programme included Abbott Community Primary, Co-op Academy in New Islington, Primrose Hill Primary, and St Malachy’s Primary. This is the second year that the Young Marketeers food education programme, run by School Food Matters, has been operating in Manchester and the second time they have supported FareShare Greater Manchester. The education programme teaches children not only about how to grow their own food, but also about food systems and food waste.

“Truly inspiring”

FareShare Greater Manchester Business Engagement Lead Kuda Mangurenje went along to support the Young Marketeers and said “It was such a joy to be there and see all the children so enthusiastic about selling their produce. Their energy, creativity, and commitment were truly inspiring.”

FareShare is incredibly grateful to be the chosen charity supported by this event and even more delighted to share that the total raised came to an amazing £784.  Every penny of this will go towards helping us reach more people in need, and we can’t thank the Young Marketeers enough for their support in making that happen.

You can find out more information about the Young Marketeers here.