The Almsford Community Fun Day in Harrogate was another big success at the weekend (20 May 2018)
Organisers estimate that between 2,000 and 3,000 attended, but estimates are approximate as there wasn’t a count at the gate or an entry fee.
Anna Woolven is part of the organising committee:
The crowds continued throughout the afternoon with a lot of interest in the stunt bikes brought along by Resurrection Bikes, as well as in the children’s acts and all our live music and dance acts.
The marquee became packed later on as everyone poured in to watch, and take part in, the entertainment.
We are still totting up and deducting our costs but are confident to have raised over £8,000, which will hopefully be enough to finishing our community pavilion.
We are delighted that local people came out in their thousands to help us celebrate Pannal Ash Junior F.C’s 40th birthday and our nearly completed community pavilion. We promised a party and that’s what our visitors got!
It was fabulous to see so many visitors of all ages join in with our activities. From having a go on stunt bikes and playing human table football, to daring the hanging wall everyone looked to like they were having a great day out and soaking up the community atmosphere that prevailed.
Highlights of the day had to be our rousing community singalong of ‘A Million Dreams’ from The Greatest Showman , led by All Together Now Choir, and the spectacular group ‘Floss’ dance led by Harrogate District Dance Company. Despite soaring temperatures, the crowds well and truly ‘flossed’ away!
We would like to thank everyone who worked so hard to make the day such a success; including our volunteers, entertainment acts, local community groups, sponsors and, of course, the visitors who came along.
Andrew Jones MP opened the event, he said:
The Almsford Gala was again a bubbling, busy, bumper day of family fun. It is a great thumbs up for the organisers who have put so much effort in to the day when the community turns out for them in such large numbers.
We are blessed in Harrogate and Knaresborough to have communities who give freely of their time to organise these events. I am grateful to them for their work and thank them for the great time I had with friends, neighbours and community groups in glorious Harrogate sunshine.
Harrogate HG2 8EN, UK
