A pioneering community market in Bensham has celebrated its first birthday, with one mum paying tribute to the "lovely, engaging and inclusive" atmosphere. Ashlea Gartland, who lives nearby, told ChronicleLive how the St Chad's Market had helped her family through the year.
Ashlea, 40, is mum to Oliver, 7, and Sophia, 3, and she explained that the accessibility of the shop - which she passes on the school run - and its friendly, affordable service had been a huge help. She said: "I was walking past when it was being built and fitted out - and I was there straight away when it opened."
"It's just being able to buy things that might otherwise be a struggle. There are so many bargains, there's lovely fresh fruit and veg - and all your staples. I like to cook and it's amazing to be able to make nice things for our family!"
Community feeling and essential role
"I just love it. Everyone there is so lovely and engaging and it is so inclusive. There's a real community feeling. It's so needed and plays an essential role in our community. It feels like going back to what we used to have - and just having the things you need right on the doorstep."
St Chad's Market is an outgrowth of the St Chad's Community Project and it was formally opened by Hairy Biker Si King on September 15 2025. It sources surplus food from local supermarkets and runs a membership scheme and an innovative stickered pricing model to help make fresh, healthy food easily accessible for people in the area.
Birthday celebrations and donations
To mark its first birthday, there was a special prize draw and a voucher donated by popular local bakers Savour - while the firm Petards have also donated £500 to celebrate.
Bethan Hosker, head of operations at St Chad's Community Project, said: "We're incredibly proud to be celebrating the Market's first birthday. In just 12 months, it has become a really important part of our community, thanks to the incredible commitment of our volunteers, the support of local businesses and, most importantly, our members."
"Collecting surplus food from more than 20 local supermarkets is a huge operation, and we simply couldn't do it without our fantastic volunteer team. The £500 donation from Petards is a wonderful way to mark our first birthday, and we're also delighted to be celebrating alongside other local businesses like Savour."
Reducing food bills and preventing crisis
St Chad's chief officer Leanne Coxon said: "We set up the market to look at ways to bring food to our community so people can shop with dignity." She added: "We are trying to reduce people's food bills, reduce food costs so that that money can then be used for other things - whether it's school uniform or phone bills. We know people are still going to be in crisis with food."
"We know we can't magically make that disappear - that's just the times we are in - but we want to look at ways to do it better. We want to look at ways to prevent people getting into crisis and that's what the affordable supermarket is all about."
Geoff Collins, head of operations and compliance at Petards, said: "It's a privilege to support St Chad's and great to do so at such an exciting time as the market celebrates its first year. We are hugely impressed by the impact it has had on the local community in such a short space of time. We hope Petards' donation helps St Chad's as it continues to flourish."
