St Giles Centre's bi-weekly craft fair giving small businesses a chance and raising money for charity
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THE St Giles Centre in Elgin is giving small, local businesses a chance to showcase their work while raising money for charity.
The shopping centre runs a bi-weekly craft fair, with around 25 regular stalls run by small Moray business owners – specifically those who have no shop front.
Handmade goods such a jewellery, knitted clothes and canvas drawings are all on offer at the fair, which tends to coincide with the Elgin farmer’s market.
Angie Chrisholm, contracts manager at St Giles’ Centre, said: “The fair is for business owners who don’t have shops.
“We do it to encourage smaller businesses. We help them out and they help us out at the same time by increasing footfall at the centre.
“We have 13 permanent stands, people who are there all the time, and others who come along at certain times. All in, there are about 25 stands that are there regularly.
“The fairs have been pretty busy of late, and are becoming more popular, so we have now made them twice monthly. At Christmas time they are weekly.”
The craft fairs take place every second weekend, with the next one set to run for five hours from 10am until 3pm on Saturday.
Saturday’s fair is being dubbed the Valentine’s Market. The following fair is due to take place on Saturday, February 26.
The St Giles’ Centre charges crafters £20 per table for their stay, but all of the money is donated to local good causes.
Last year, between £3000 and £4000 was raised for a number of causes. The exact amount, and where the money will be headed, is set to be announced by the centre in the coming weeks.
“The money we take in doesn’t go to the centre,” Angie explained.
“It combines with our big charity night to go towards different good causes in Moray.”
