Save Ridley market- true story

For generations, Ridley Market has been more than a place to shop.

It’s where families built businesses from nothing.
Where cultures met, music played, and community thrived.
Where Black entrepreneurs created opportunities in a city that hasn’t always made space for them.

But for years, this community has been neglected.

The indoor market has seen decades of underinvestment, left to deteriorate while traders continued to show up, work hard, and hold the space together. Instead of support, the market has been dismissed and labelled a “shanty town” — a harmful narrative used to justify what is now happening.

Now, that story is being cut short.

Traders, some of whom have been part of Ridley for decades, were given just three weeks to leave, and were asked to leave their livelihood on 31st March 2026. Three weeks to dismantle years of hard work, relationships, and history.

No real alternatives. No real support.
Just an ending they didn’t choose.

And we know what often comes next.

Spaces are stripped back and repackaged into something else — something more polished, more expensive, and less connected to the community. Places like Broadway Market have become heavily tourist-driven, no longer reflecting the communities that once defined them.

Elsewhere, we’ve seen developments fail, like Hackney Central’s empty arches, now a ghost town.

We can’t let Ridley Market become another version of this story.

The Save Ridley campaign is working to support traders and protect this space, but we cannot do it alone.

Join us for a special screening of a panel of traders, Save Ridley Market supporters Indoor -powerful and unfiltered testimonies to uncover the truth behind this movement .

Stay for a live Q&A with film makers Bill Parey -Davies , the local traders, and campaigners as they share real experiences from the front line.

Come and be part of the conversation — hear directly from those impacted and stand with Ridley Market.

If Ridley Market has ever meant something — to you, your family, or this city — now is the time to act.

Help us keep this story alive. Donate. Share. Stand with Ridley.