Market Drayton’s business community came together for a brilliant day of learning, networking and creativity as part of Make it Market Drayton – an initiative designed to equip local business owners with the digital skills they need to grow and thrive.
The day began at The Hideout, right in the heart of town, where local business owners gathered to network, share ideas and hear each other’s stories. From people just starting out to those looking to grow their following, the conversations were full of encouragement, collaboration and practical advice. It was a chance to connect, discover how businesses can support one another, and explore ways to get more involved in what’s happening across the town.
Following the networking session, we moved on to a fully booked Canva Workshop, with 15 local businesses taking part. Everyone began by creating a poster for Oktoberfest – a brand-new initiative in Market Drayton designed to support and celebrate local pubs in the town centre. This shared starting point helped attendees build confidence while learning the basics of design, including layouts, colours, fonts and images.
You can see what everyone created in the gallery below, with each poster offering a different creative take on the event. Once confident using Canva, participants then went on to create their own artwork for their individual businesses. They learned how to adapt designs for Facebook and Instagram, add animation, music and QR codes, and prepare content ready to share on social media. We’re really looking forward to seeing these designs appearing online and helping to promote local businesses across Market Drayton.
Supporting Oktoberfest in Market Drayton
Oktoberfest takes place on Saturday 3rd October, from 5–9pm, and we’re hoping even more pubs across the town centre will get involved — whether that’s serving bratwurst, beer, or putting on something special to join the celebrations. The aim is to create a lively, welcoming evening that encourages people to explore and support Market Drayton’s fantastic local pubs.
Free Support for Local Businesses
All of this support is completely free to local businesses and is a unique opportunity fully funded by Market Drayton Town Council. Make it Market Drayton focuses on helping local businesses build practical digital skills, increase visibility, and feel supported as part of a connected and collaborative town.
What’s Next?
The next free training session will help local businesses take another important digital step:
Create Your Own WordPress Website
📍 Market Drayton Town Hall
📅 Tuesday 17 March
⏰ 10am–3pm
This hands-on session will guide attendees through building a brand-new website using WordPress. It’s ideal for businesses that don’t yet have a website or want to better understand how to manage one themselves. As with all Make it Market Drayton training, this session is completely free.
Free training and networking opportunities take place every month, and places often book up quickly. There is a dedicated page on the Make it Market Drayton website with full details of upcoming sessions and business support:
A Big Thank You
A huge thank you goes to Ian Nellins, Town Councillor and co-owner of The Sandbrook Vaults, who, along with his son Sam, kindly opened up the Vaults and provided free tea and coffee. With the workshop fully booked, the extra space was very much needed and greatly appreciated.
Make it Market Drayton is all about working together, sharing skills and strengthening the local economy — and days like this show just how powerful that support can be
