A BUSINESS leader is hoping a dash of community spirit can revive a festive tradition that fell foul of budget cuts.
Amanda Davis, chairman of the Coulsdon Business Partnership, is looking for volunteers to help revive the annual Christmas market, which failed to take place last year after the town centre manager was made redundant.
She hopes tables of festive stalls during December can help bring shoppers into the town and spread Christmas cheer.
Ms Davis, the owner of I Woman clothing store in Chipstead Valley Road, said: "It would bring a bit of community spirit and bring all the traders together.
"It is Christmas, and the time where everybody should come together and look after these things."
Croydon's town centre managers, including Coulsdon's Christine Samson, were made redundant in 2011 when Government funding was pulled.
Traders have given a warm welcome to the idea of a market comeback, and the shoppers that it might bring.
Angie Patel founded Pandora News in Brighton Road with her husband 30 years ago.
She said: "I think the market does bring a lot of people in; last year was not very good without it.
"I hope it would sell lots of different clothes, presents and things like that. Not sweets, because we sell them."
Alan Wright, owner of Express Copy in Chipstead Valley Road, said: "It would be great to see a Christmas market because it would make people more aware of Coulsdon.
"Last year was a bit of a shame, but now we are all very enthusiastic. It would give the place much more of a Christmas feel."
"We pay the same rates and do everything the same as Croydon, but sometimes we don't feel like we get an awful lot of support."
Terry Mitchell, owner of Barrington Dry Cleaners in Brighton Road, added: "We do need to get more people into Coulsdon."
Ms Davis said she was not yet sure of the scale of the market, but that she probably needs about five or six volunteers.
She hoped the festivities would start at the beginning of December, and was exploring the possibility of basing stalls in the Red Lion car park.
Ms Davis also helps organise Christmas lights, which town traders generally club together to fund. "Donations for the lights will be gratefully accepted," she added.
To volunteer to help call Ms Davis on 020 8763 1066.
