128,000 reasons to support our market

by DAVID HOGG
5th August 2019

THE WARRANDYTE Riverside Market continues to go from strength to strength, distributing $128,000 in grants, donations and jobs created in the last financial year.
As a not-for-profit community organisation, revenue raised by stallholder leases is used in small part to pay for management and operating expenses, and also fees to Manningham Council and St John’s Ambulance for attendance.
A large part is distributed back into the local community by way of grants to schools, kindergartens and local community groups, including the member service organisations and associations.
In addition to the management committee members, local beneficiaries included Warrandyte High School, Neighbourhood House, the Be Ready, Warrandyte bushfire campaign, Warrandyte Festival, a Pottery Expo award for innovative contemporary ceramics, Rotary Art Show, Warrandyte Junior and Senior Football Clubs and Warrandyte Pre- school.
Most of the running costs incurred by the committee create jobs in Warrandyte.
Over and above the Market committee’s revenue, is the additional overall return to Warrandyte stallholders, who otherwise would not have an outlet on a Saturday morning — all of which adds up to a sizeable return to the Warrandyte economy.
The market is held on the first Saturday in each month except January, with two markets in December.
The market management is by a sub-committee of Warrandyte Donvale Rotary under licence from Manningham City Council.
Other members of the organising committee consortium are the Warrandyte Lions Club, North Warrandyte CFA, the Warrandyte Community Association and the Warrandyte Community Church.

ATM to stay

One of the most asked questions at the market office on market day is: “where is the nearest ATM?”
For a while stallholders and market visitors have been asking if one could be made available.
With this in mind, the organising committee investigated the hire of an ATM tent for the market.
The July market was the first time ATMs were on site and available to visitors and stall holders, and it was a huge success.
The committee had been prepared to invest funds for the provision of this facility, should the demand not have met the required transaction level.
Happily, in their first appearance, the ATMs exceeded the minimum transaction level and so will now become a regular part of the market infrastructure.
They are located in Stiggant Street car park near the market office and the St John First Aid station.

Scouts scupper shops’ stocks of snags

THE JULY market saw the Warrandyte Scouts’ best stall yet with over $1,000 raised.
Over the last 12 months the scouts have improved the layout of their kitchen and introduced some new ideas.
In July they offered slow cooked roast pork and lamb rolls, cooked over the coals on a traditional scout campfire.
The problem was, there were so many people attending the market, the mouth-watering smells of fine food attracted the market visitors by the droves, and there was not enough to go around when it got to lunchtime.
They sent a detachment of troops to IGA where they bought up all the remaining bangers.
Still not enough!
The next platoon sallied forth to the butcher’s, where again they emptied the store of snarlers.
And still they ran out, eventually having to turn people away.
The Scouts’ market stall offers the scouts the opportunity to develop skills in service, cooking, money handling and organisation while serving their community.
Warrandyte Scouts is one of the most successful groups in the district.
They use the income from the market to buy equipment and materials for camps and adventures.
And they proudly announce that one of their venturers, Hamish, is representing Warrandyte at the World Jamboree in Virginia this month.
Next market, beat the crowds and help the scouts fund their next adventure.