Margate
In Margate, The Teenage Market has grown from a one-off youth enterprise event into one of Thanet’s most visible celebrations of young creativity, confidence and community spirit.
🌊 Coastal creativity
Held in partnership with Thanet District Council, The Teenage Market in Margate has grown from a first-time youth enterprise event into one of the area’s most visible celebrations of young creativity, confidence and community spirit.
The programme launched in Margate in July 2024 at The Centre, giving young entrepreneurs from across Thanet a free platform to sell their creations, including handmade jewellery, clothing, crafts and other original products. Alongside the stalls, the event also created space for young musicians, comedians and poets to perform.
From the outset, Thanet District Council described the event as a platform for young people to show their creative skills, connect with the community and develop business experience. Some applicants were as young as nine, underlining the creativity and ambition of Thanet’s youngest residents.
The first Margate event featured 13 stallholders who showed remarkable resilience in very windy weather, collectively earning around £1,000. Despite the conditions, the young traders brought colour, energy and determination to the town centre.
“The event really helped my confidence in starting my own business. Thank you for this opportunity.”
🎄 Festive momentum
The next major Margate event took place as part of the Mayor’s Big Christmas in Margate and built strongly on the success of the first market. With 40 stallholders and 9 performers, the festive market created a vibrant atmosphere in the town centre and drew widespread community support.
Supporters included the Mayor of Margate and Polly Billington MP, alongside local families, businesses and residents who came out to celebrate the young people taking part. Collectively, traders achieved more than £5,000 in sales revenue during the event.
A later festive Teenage Market in Margate demonstrated the continued growth of the programme, with more than 50 young people from Thanet and surrounding towns taking part in what was described as the biggest Teenage Market in Thanet to date. Young entrepreneurs generated around £4,500 in sales, while 10 young performers, including solo singers, musicians and a local school band, helped create a lively town centre atmosphere.
The event was supported by local residents and businesses, who displayed promotional posters and offered special deals, helping to create a positive and encouraging atmosphere for young traders and performers.
🛍️ Town centre impact
The Margate events have succeeded in drawing large numbers of visitors into the town centre, creating additional footfall and supporting local businesses. A local coffee shop, Curve, reported increased sales as a result of the event, while visitors rated the experience very highly.
The impact was also visible in the way civic leaders and local partners engaged with the young people taking part. At the later festive event, the Chair of Thanet District Council visited every stall and awarded a “Best Presented Stall” prize to one young entrepreneur, while Polly Billington MP and the Mayor of Margate also attended and supported the event.
There was a wave of praise for the young people on the day, with positive comments shared across social media after the event. Parents, visitors and local partners recognised the confidence, talent and entrepreneurial spirit on display.
🚀 Growing across Thanet
Building on the success in Margate, Teenage Market activity has expanded across Thanet, with further events planned and delivered in Ramsgate and Broadstairs. The first 2025 market in Ramsgate featured 27 individual stalls and generated collective sales of more than £3,000.
The Broadstairs event continued this momentum. Despite challenging weather, it featured 31 young stallholders offering everything from jewellery, printed T-shirts, crochet, artwork and home-baked treats to 3D printing, dog chocolates and guinea pig snacks.
The event also included 9 individual performance acts, with 58 young people involved overall. Sales on the day exceeded £3,500, but the real success lay in the supportive atmosphere, with young traders visiting each other’s stalls, celebrating one another’s achievements and building a genuine sense of creative community.
Across the programme, The Teenage Market has given young people a free, low-risk way to test ideas, gain customer feedback, handle money, promote their products and experience what it feels like to be part of a trading community.
🤝 Supportive spirit
One standout moment came from Cheyenne, a performer who has been part of The Teenage Market since its launch in Margate in July 2024. Scheduled to perform twice, she generously gave up her second slot to another young person who decided on the day that they wanted to perform.
It was a perfect reflection of the supportive spirit these events inspire — young people not only developing their own confidence, but actively helping others to take part and feel included.
The positive feedback from the events highlights the importance of making The Teenage Market a regular part of the town centre calendar in Margate and across Thanet. Its role in empowering young entrepreneurs, fostering community spirit and supporting local businesses is clear to see.
Margate demonstrates how a regular Teenage Market programme can build confidence, generate income, animate town centres and create a visible platform for young people to shape the places they live.