Curated Aberdeen's Christmas market delivers funding boost to Charlie House
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Spearheaded by Aberdeen Inspired, as part of the wider Christmas Village offering, the organisation donated stall holder fees from over 50 local traders who participated in the market which ran at weekends in the run up to Christmas.
Chief executive at Aberdeen Inspired Adrian Watson said: “We are delighted at the success of the market which proved to be a real hit with locals and visitors alike.
"Stall holders paid a small fee to be part of the event which went directly to Charlie House providing a welcome boost of over £11,000 to their fundraising activities.
“The market not only raised much needed funds for Charlie House but also showcased goods from 59 north-east makers and producers and proved to be a real draw for Christmas gift shoppers.
"It was fantastic to see so many people getting into the festive spirit and enjoying all that our city centre has to offer, which not only included the Christmas Quad Market and Village but all the other great retail, hospitality and cultural offerings that together attracted people from the north east and beyond to the city centre over the festive period.”
A survey on the event conducted by Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce found that 90 percent of vendors said having a stall at Curated in the Quad was good for their business with 97 percent of agreeing they would aim to return next year.
The Christmas offering located on Broad Street and Upperkirkgate also attracted increased footfall to the area which had a positive impact on established local businesses.
Sales assistant at Annie Mo’s Emily McDonald said: “The Christmas market is a great asset to this side of town as it brings more people to the local area.
"We find that people who are planning to visit the market will come past our shop before or after to have a look at our Christmas decorations too.
"We hope this this will continue and grow each year as it will help to get Aberdeen back on the map for places to visit.”
Owner at The Pigs Wings Marcos Sasso said: “We definitely noticed an increase in footfall from the Aberdeen Christmas Village.
"We had so many walk ins over that period, and it was great to see a local event attracting so many visitors and in turn supporting many other local businesses in the area.”
Organised by Charlie House in partnership with Aberdeen Inspired, Curated in the Quad formed part of the wider Christmas Village offering delivered by Aberdeen City Council and Codona’s which included fun fair rides and a stunning winter ice rink bringing much needed seasonal fun for all ages to the city centre.
Darren Lynch, Retail manager at Charlie House Darren Lynch said: “We are delighted at the success of Curated in the Quad over the festive period.
"The funds have already been put to work to support children and young people across the region who have life-limiting or life-threatening conditions, allowing us to deliver a range of activities alongside practical and emotional support for them and their families.
“Charlie House is grateful to Aberdeen Inspired, Aberdeen City Council, Codona's and the local businesses who went above and beyond to make the market a success.
"Their efforts, backed by the continued public support allow us to continue helping families right now, while also working toward our long-term goal of establishing a specialist support centre here in Aberdeen.”
Councillor Ryan Houghton, Convener of the City Growth and Resources Committee said: “We were once again delighted to support the Curated in the Quad Christmas Market as it is such a fantastic festive event that really adds to the overall offering of the Christmas Village.
"It’s important in this challenging climate that we all get behind the wide range of local traders who participate and provide opportunities such as these to support them.
“Collaborative working is vital to the success of events like our festive line-up and we will continue to work with partner organisations to ensure that we can do all that we can to support local business and the wider community here in Aberdeen.”
Local artist and business woman Catherine Redgate, Creator of Catherine Redgate Art, said, “The Curated in the Quad market is a fantastic opportunity for local makers such as myself to reach the general public right in the heart of the city and Aberdeen’s Christmas village.
"Customers are often surprised by what is on their doorstep so it really helps to embrace and promote the importance of ‘shopping local’.
“I love the atmosphere in the quad with all the little chalets decorated with festive lights, hot drinks on offer and a mix of little stalls, it has a feel like one of the famous European Christmas markets, I love being part of it.”
