Naz, one of our brilliant traders based on Well Street in Hackney
“I’ve been part of the Rose Vouchers for Fruit & Veg Project since the start, for nearly ten years. I was at Ridley Road Market before and accepted Rose Vouchers there. During the lockdown, to help manage social distancing, my stall moved to Well Street. I still accept Rose Vouchers here and have my posters up so families know they can spend their vouchers with me.
I wanted to join the project when I found out it was to support a charity. I used to work for a charity and want to help local families without a good income, so their children can have fresh fruit and veg.
The Rose Vouchers also help small businesses, which is so important. People don’t have extra to spend at the moment. We’ve got to try and keep going. If even more families with Rose Vouchers could know I’m here, that would be great.
We are very welcoming to all families, especially those with Rose Vouchers, sometimes even more welcoming as I know when they have Rose Vouchers, their income is low, so I give them an extra banana or apple to help if I can. I don’t want families with Rose Vouchers to feel embarrassed to use them.
It’s nice being part of the Rose Vouchers project. Healthy food is something I think everyone should enjoy and everyone should have. I have different families visiting my new stall. They can get everything on the market for a cheaper price, and the fruit & veg is good quality too.
It’s great working with Alexandra Rose Charity. It’s a very good system, and easy to get paid when you’ve inputted the vouchers. As a trader, I’d recommend joining the Rose Vouchers for Fruit & Veg Project.”
Follow Naz on Instagram @nazfreshfruitandveg