Enterprise Team to host fourth annual Christmas Market on campus

The University of Huddersfield’s Enterprise Team is hosting its fourth annual Christmas Market on campus to mark the start of the festive season.

The event is being held in collaboration with the Students’ Union, Kirklees Council and the National Market Traders Federation (NMTF) on University Square on Wednesday 3 December, from 11.00am to 5.00pm.

The market brings together student and alumni businesses with local traders from across the Yorkshire region. Festive fun will be on offer with an entertainment stage featuring the University’s Staff Choir and Brass Band, along with student performances throughout the day.

Student and alumni businesses involved in the market include:

• Cookingwithfeem – Feem started his baking business from his home kitchen whilst studying his English Language and Linguistics degree
• Totes and Trees Boutique – Aira established her embroidered accessories, tote bag and clothing venture during her Business Management degree
• Suga & Splenda Creations – alumni Kayesha creates bespoke gift hampers

The market forms a heat for the national Young Traders Market, a competition for 16 to 30-year-olds aimed to nurture and showcase young talent and encourage more young entrepreneurs to start their journeys on markets.

Winners from the heat go on to the regional semi-final, with the hope of progressing to the national final taking place in summer 2026. The University is the only higher education institution involved with the initiative.

Judges at this year’s market are: Tracy Sheldon, Business Start-Up Gateway Manager at Business Kirklees; Stephanie Vlamis, Marketing Manager at Huddersfield BID; and Bethany Murphy, SU Activities Officer and Founder of Diva Polewear.

Nicola Walker, Enterprise Hub Manager, from the University of Huddersfield commented: “We’re excited to host our fourth annual Christmas Market at the heart of the university campus. It’s my favourite event of the year, and it's wonderful to see our student and alumni businesses trade alongside regular market traders - the variety of stalls we see each year means there’s always something for everyone. The market gets bigger and better each year, and I’m proud that it started from a vision within the Enterprise Team.

"The market is a real community and wouldn’t be a success without the help of colleagues across the University in the Students’ Union, Estates and central Events teams – thanks everyone! Thanks also to the NMTF for being so supportive of the event, and to the judges who help out at the Young Traders Market heat.”

Joe Harrison, Chief Executive of the NMTF Ltd, commented: “We are thrilled yet again that the University of Huddersfield is continuing to hold these great Young Trader Market events as part of the NMTF's YTM National campaign. The University has shown great initiative by being the only one to get involved so far, and is now embarking on its fourth year of doing so.

“I must take this opportunity to thank the Enterprise Team for getting behind this initiative on a yearly basis and holding it on the campus. But for also having the vision on how this can be of immense benefit to their students that take part, to be able to apply all their great learning and turn it into a practical advantage. Simply marvellous, I am sure those that get involved are truly grateful.”

This year, the Christmas Market takes place alongside the University’s Winter Festival, part of the Research in Conversation series. The Festival is a three-day research-focused event, with talks, workshops and exhibitions, culminating in an Awards Ceremony on the final day to recognise the outstanding achievements of university students, staff, and departments.