The Sheffield Antiques Quarter group came together just over a year ago to highlight the vibrant array of shops and businesses that we have on the South of Sheffield. Our aim was to let Sheffield know we were here and our current trail leaflet has 35 members featured on it. There are 6 antique centres and about 30 independent shops and cafes in the area selling antiques, retro, vintage, arts, militaria and salvage wares as well as local food. We have been able to draw some membership money together which has helped us to establish the basics to include our invaluable leaflet and website and we have also held a launch event and spring market. The area is about 1.5miles from end to end and covers 3 main roads; Abbeydale Road, Broadfield Road and Queens Road. The group wants to encourage footfall and sales in order to ensure these businesses survive the current economic climate and by pulling together we feel we have a greater chance of this. All the businesses are local independents run by Sheffield people and are a green alternative to large corporate mainstream high street shops.
Our vision is to bring improvement across the board and that this is about the entire area, hence close links with Sheffield City Council and local community groups including the Netheredge Group and also Heeley Development Trust. We want the improvements we bring to be of benefit to all, to include the local community who have shown great support for our launch last year and also the latest market. Our website, whcih we manage ourselves, features all the businesses www.sheffieldantiquesquarter.co.uk (trail map http://sheffieldantiquesquarter.co.uk/map/). We are a constituted group with a bank account and committee of 6 and attendance at our meetings is usually representative of the entire group. Everyone has a say and can feed in by email if unable to attend and we inform via regular emails and minutes. In the past year we have seen new businesses arrive in the area with 7 new businesses setting up on the Abbeydale Rd and 2 on the Queens Rd. As well as the 35 members, the 6 centres represent around 150 further traders and within the Quarter we have many unrelated buisnesses. Our work impacts positively on all these. The council have shown considerable support and have helped us on every level in our first year to establish ourselves.
Our greatest strength is the fact that the drive comes from within and from ourselves.
