Burwash business creates virtual primary school marketplace

Nick Hitchens

A WEBSITE linking every primary school in Britain has been launched by a Burwash business.

The site, www.primaryschoolstrader.com, allows schools and the communities surrounding them to trade items, advertise events and communicate with other establishments completely free of charge.

Parents, teachers, friends and family members can use Primary Schools Trader to buy or sell anything from pets to musical instruments, bikes to holiday homes.

Managed by Neil Canetty-Clarke and his wife Anna, who have lived in Burwash for 15 years, the site covers all 25,000 primary schools in the UK and Ireland.

It was officially launched on November 18, joining its sister site for independent schools School Trader, established by the couple two years ago.

However the site actually went online in October and already has around 100 East Sussex schools signed on.

With Primary School Trader up and running, Mr Canetty-Clarke is now hoping to establish www.secondaryschoolstrader.com and www.universitiestrader.com early next year.

He said: "The site presents people, that is adults in and around schools, with the opportunity to get in touch with each other and trade things that are linked with school, and items that are for themselves.

"It is like a big market place which is created around people who are linked to primary schools."

Some of the more unusual items already for sale on the site include mooring on the Thames, a turret bed, a wedding ring and mole scarers.

"It isn't just for selling items," said Mr Canetty-Clarke, "schools can advertise their next open day, or concert, or can just go on, look at the notice board, and find out what is going on at the primary school in the next village."

To become linked to the site, all a school needs to do is contact Mr Canetty-Clarke on 01580 819085 then mention the site in a newsletter or send launch cards provided to parents and staff.

They can also visit the Courier website at www.thisissussex.co.uk/links and follow the links.