How to successfully navigate complex change was one of many discussion topics when 18 people from a cross-section of industry, retail and academia visited New Covent Garden Market (NCGM) on Friday 26 September.

The group took part in a walking tour, part of an ongoing series of on-site visits curated by not-for-profit First Hand, designed for professionals who want to connect emerging ideas to real-world practice.

12 attendees toured the existing Market units, the new Market units, and NCGM’s award-winning waste recycling facility (read more here), pausing at each location to learn more from the Market’s Communications team, before moving to the Food Exchange’s Mission Kitchen where the group met a further six attendees for a breakfast/discussion session.

The group of cross-industry professionals toured both the original Market units (pictured), plus the new Market units

“Our community of practice shares know-how that doesn’t sit in reports or curricula but in exchanges between real-world practices and disciplines,” explains Dee Halligan, First Hand’s Founding Director, who aims to demonstrate the power of open and place-based learning by visiting sites and speaking to experts about the challenges they face and how they navigate them. “The visit to NCGM was a skills-focused walking tour offering a chance to explore with others and facilitate cross-sector connections.”

A major talking point was NCGM’s relationship with change, as it continues to successfully trade during a multi-million-pound redevelopment, as well as its relationships with businesses both inside and outside the Market. Representatives from a broad range of organisations included Kingston Council, British Land and Manchester Metropolitan University, as well as luxury retailer Fortnum & Mason and food redistribution charity The Felix Project.

The group's tour included a visit to the Market's recycling centre, where Mitie's Gary Roberts was happy to discuss the Market's zero-to-landfill policy

For Paul Micklethwaite, Research Lead for Design at Manchester School of Art and an expert at the Design Council, the tour opened up a previously hidden part of the capital. “I pass by on the train all the time and because the Market is such a nocturnal world it’s invisible to us. But it’s so important to the city and the wider economy.”

Find out more about First Hand – and how you can join their in-house programme of walking tours and study trips – here.