ENTERPRISING students at the University of York are offering businesses in the city a chance to market their wares to a potential 16,000 people at a stroke.

Matthew Freckelton, a third-year sociology student, Scott Murphy, a final year history student and Richard O’Neil, a third-year business management student, have launched York Student Market Ltd.

Their company uses a room on campus, where it rents out tables to enterprising students, staff and external businesses who want to tap into the spending power of 13,000 students and 3,000 academic staff.

The business has already had one successful experimental market which included a fair trade stand, a handmade Christmas cards venture, handmade jewellery outlet and a video game stall all manned by students, while outside ventures included two vintage clothing stalls, refurbished bicycles and a book publisher promoting a new book on Yorkshire.

Matthew, the managing director, said: “We would like to attract more outside businesses. Our price structure is simple. We charge £10 per first table and £5 for every other table the enterprise wants to use, or we can negotiate a price for larger spaces.

“Obviously we propose to keep prices low for student lessees, but we will later review our prices for outside firms, so anyone wanting to take advantage of the existing price structure should get in now and book for our next market in St James College Dining Hall between 11am and 5pm on December 9.

“We plan to hold them fortnightly and everyone is welcome.”