Borough Market – the only fully independent market in London – is owned by a charitable trust, The Borough Market (Southwark), run by a board of volunteer trustees.

According to the formal objectives laid out in its Charity Commission registration, the trust’s commitments are to provide a market as a public amenity and, once a year, to pass any surplus to the London Borough of Southwark for the benefit of residents in the parish of St Saviour’s.

In addition to these registered objectives, the trust has extended its formal charitable commitments to include running community events, providing food related health education and contributing to local community projects and schemes.

The trust has also signed up to a broader set of aims relating to sustainability, public health, food quality and social responsibility. These include:

• addressing the impacts of climate change, energy conservation, water stress, competition over land use, biodiversity threats and soil conservation

• enhancing public health through food which is safe, nutritionally valuable, accessible and affordable

• optimising quality by offering, where possible, fresh, local, seasonal ingredients, minimally or appropriately processed

• upholding social values relating to animal welfare, working conditions, social equality and transparent pricing

The trust seeks to meet these aims by ensuring that the market’s traders and employees understand and commit to them and by offering the necessary systems of education and support.