Theresa Villiers, MP for Chipping Barnet formally opened the East Barnet Village Festive Fair on Saturday at 4pm at the Friend Need Centre at East Barnet Baptist Church. The fair was organised by Alison Phillips and a team of volunteers to promote shopping in East Barnet Village.Opening the fair, Theresa said "I am sure this will be a great event for East Barnet. Local shops are not just important for our economy, they are a much valued part of our community too. So it is fantastic that this festive fair is going ahead to encourage people to shop locally."
"Last weekend, there was a nationwide campaign for Small Business Saturday to encourage people to support small independent companies and traders. I would urge people to do that again today in East Barnet Village. Today marks the start of longer weekend shopping hours in East Barnet. There will also be pop-up shops, stalls and carol singing."
After opening the fair, Theresa visited a number of local shops and restaurants to hear the concerns of their owners and staff. She met a range of traders including Blueberries Restaurant, Tops Fish and Chips and Cafe Fresco. All three East Barnet Conservative councillors attended the events with Theresa: Cllr Robert Rams, Cllr Joanna Tambourides and Cllr Barry Evangeli.