Published Article

HeadlineIconic Portobello Road Market short on willing volunteers

Short HeadlinePortobello Road Market lacking volunteers and staff

StandfirstPortobello Road's Market Ambassador scheme is finding it hard to recruit volunteers

Amid staffing issues and a dearth of volunteers, The Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, in partnership with the market’s management team, have announced a volunteering campaign.

Do you want to #volunteer but need something flexible that works around your schedule ? Then come volunteer with us on Saturdays as a Market Ambassador on Portobello Road and Golborne Road 🙌

📧 Contact our Market Ambassador Officer Sristi at [email protected] to join! pic.twitter.com/vhoqouPclX

— Volunteer Centre Kensington & Chelsea (@VolCentre_KandC) November 20, 2023

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The project was planned for the Saturday 27th of January. However, the online registration process failed. Also, the security staff and stand owners had not been informed of the ambassador initiative. 

The Market Ambassador scheme originally launched during the 2012 London Olympic games, and ended when the pandemic began. Portobello market has not made any efforts in the interim to find more volunteers. This has worsened organisation on the ground.

Marcia is a stand owner and designer of her own soap and beauty product brand since 2008. She told City News that the initiative was good, but that she hopes for better communication from the borough. Marcia said that since the market reopened after the pandemic, the number of staff working for the organisation team has not been proportionate to visitors. Marcia is not alone in her disappointment with the lack of communication from the borough.

Another stand owner who wished to stay anonymous described the market as “disoriented”. They are hoping for an effective team for this new year.

City News received a statement from Portobello Road Market which said that they were hoping for a ‘significant improvement’ in their volunteering initiative which would help business owners and visitors to have a better experience in the next few months. 

With more than 1000 stand owners and sellers, Portobello Road Market ranks among the busiest street markets in Europe. It draws in thousands of visitors, earning its reputation as an important tourist attraction.