Children from schools across Knowsley will swap the classroom for a pop-up market shop this summer as they sell fresh, school-grown fruit and vegetables to the public in support of a great cause.
The first ever Young Marketeers Knowsley Market Day will take place on Friday 3 July from 12pm until 2pm in a vacant unit on St Chad’s parade.
Children from five local primary schools – Eastcroft Park Primary School, Kirkby CE Primary School, Millbrook Community Primary School, Ravenscroft Primary School and St Marie’s Catholic Primary School – have spent the past few months growing produce from seed with support from expert gardeners as part of Young Marketeers, a food education programme run by charity School Food Matters, funded by Knowsley Council.
Now, they’ll harvest and sell their produce to shoppers, putting their new gardening, teamwork and marketing skills into practice while learning more about where food comes from.
Visitors to the pop-up shop in Kirkby can expect to find the children selling a colourful selection of seasonal produce, such as beans, beetroot, carrot, chard, cucumber, lettuce, peas, potatoes, radishes and spinach.
Young Marketeers helps children develop practical gardening and enterprise skills while nurturing a life-long positive relationship with food, providing hands-on outdoor learning opportunities and increasing awareness of food waste. Giving access to food education equips children with the knowledge, confidence and appreciation of nutritious, sustainable food needed to make healthy, informed choices well into adulthood.
Stephanie Slater MBE, Founder and Chief Executive of School Food Matters, said “Food education is a vital life skill, and hands-on experiences such as growing and selling fresh produce can help children build a real connection with food and where it comes from. For 15 years, our Young Marketeers programme has been giving children the chance to learn new skills, work as a team and take pride in what they’ve grown. Market Day is a celebration of the value of food education and a moment for hundreds of enterprising young gardeners across the country to shine.”
Cllr Christine Bannon, Cabinet Member for Health, said: “I’m really looking forward to seeing what our children have been growing and hearing about their experiences. This project complements our Healthy Schools Programme which includes healthier school meals menus being adopted as well as promoting active lifestyles”
Money raised from sales on the day will be donated to The Eco Therapy Garden, a community-led therapy garden in Knowsley which offers a safe, supportive outdoor space where visitors can participate in gardening, eco therapy activities, outdoor learning and volunteering opportunities.
Cllr Sean Donnelly, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People added: “I’m delighted that five primary schools in Kirkby have taken part in this great initiative. It supports important life skills which can be developed as they progress through their education journey and into adulthood. Learning to grow products and then selling them in such an engaging way is a great experience for them. Well done to everyone who has taken part.”
Last year, Young Marketeers reached 120 schools in 14 cities across England. Feedback from participating children highlighted the programme’s impact, with 86% saying they learned a new gardening skill, 60% learning more about where food comes from, and 52% discovering something new about healthy eating. Now in its 15th year, the programme continues to grow and will be delivered in 16 cities in 2026.