Hello flea market enthusiasts! 
If you would like to have a stall at the May 26th Flea Market then give me a call this Friday 27th of April from 10am to book a spot. Call 0131 555 7100 or come in person the the Drill Hall Cafe. Demand for the past 3 markets has been very high so if the phone is busy then please just keep trying. 

Thanks and remember that this Saturday is our next market so come along and browse the varied and interesting items our 2nd hand vendors have to offer!

Charitable Stalls at March's Flea Market by Mary O'Connell

The flea market is all about spotting a bargain, haggling with the stallholders and being delighted with your new purchase. But there can be more behind your new bargain. Some stalls at the flea market are driven by a charitable cause. I spoke to stallholders behind the cause.

The first charity I meet was the Golden Bear Trust. The stall has books and bric-a-brac, but more interestingly has beautiful theatre costumes, which the stallholder can tell the story of each.  This stall is bags of fun for a great cause.  The trust supports people, in particular children, who have experienced or are at risk of trauma from abuse, poverty, oppression and neglect. It aims to make a contribution towards the financial cost of participating in counselling and therapies, the arts, prevention projects and education. 

Moving on to a corner of Out of the Blue, which is jam-packed with clothes, shoes, bags, with a guitar and wet suit thrown in for good measure. The good cause: to collect money for baby Ketut. Ketut is from a mixed British Indonesian family, her mother a former Edinburgh resident. Ketut was born in Indonesia on the 5^th Nov 2011 and spent almost 5 months of her life in different hospitals. She has been treated for meningitis and hydrocephalus and has a cerebral shunt installed. The healthcare in Indonesia is private and expensive and when Ketut’s family started falling behind on medical bills friends of her mother decided to help.

And finally, Powerful Partnerships first took a stall at the October 2011 market. They realise having a stall at the market is not just about making money, but to create awareness of the charity. Powerful Partnerships aims to make a difference by providing opportunities for people with learning difficulties to live rich, diverse, independent and active lives in their own community. 

So the next time you are at the flea market, your new purchase might be supporting good causes in your community. Happy Shopping!

CONTACT DETAILS

Golden Bear Trust: The Chair, Golden Bear Trust, 18 Main St, Eccles, TD5 7QP.

Website is begin developed

Ketut: meizzo@yahoo.com or liztainsh@hotmail.com

Powerful Partnerships: Powerful Partnerships, PO BOX 17407, Edinburgh, EH12 1FZ. info@powerfulpartnership.org.uk

April Flea Market: Pitches sold out within an hour!

It must be some kind of record, from 10 am the phone did not stop ringing and by 11 the April Market was full. Sorry if you didn't get a pitch this time. Watch this space for when May goes on sale. 
The day that the pitches go on sale varies each month depending on what else is going on in the Drill Hall so to be sure to be informed follow the blog, join the email list or contact the cafe on 0131 555 7100 to be added to the list for text message updates!