THE resurrected Hindley Market is in need of help to kit it out for the winter.

Sharon Sargent and Alison Thorpe brought back the closed market in August and although it has been going from strength to strength ever since, they are in need of a helping hand to make it through the colder months.

They have applied for a funding grant which they will use to buy more substantial gazebos for their artisan stalls.

Sharon said: “It is our first winter and we have plenty of gazebos but they are all lightweight and won’t stand up to the wind and rain of a typical winter.

“If enough people vote for us, we will be able to stay open all winter. We have been here whatever the weather since we opened on the bank holiday in August and we want to stay all winter.

“We decided to start the market up again because speaking to small businesses in the area the demand was there and people wanted the market back.

“We have just launched the Christmas markets with a bar and Santa’s grotto – to try to rival Manchester’s – and we are opening late nights on Friday 13 and 20 until 8pm.”

The market has attached more than 90 businesses which visit either weekly, bi-weekly or once a month and stalls include all manner of food produce from eggs to jams, gifts, crafts and knitwear.

Sharon said: “We had a chocolate stall open on Saturday and it went down amazingly well.

“It is being run by a chef who has been unemployed for quite some time but now he is getting back into it and is determined to make it work.”

To vote for Hindley Market for the Love Our Local Business’ Small Business Big Wishes funding, visit the website loveourlocalbusiness.com before December 11.