GREAT FUN AT PICNIC IN PARK
Chance to get involved
Organisers were pleased with another successful Picnic in the Park in Rattray on Saturday.
The fun day in Davie Park, now in its sixth year, is organised by volunteers from the Loon Braes Parknership and saw lots of entertainment for all the family, including a barbecue, bouncy castles and various stalls.
Among the local groups and organisations who had stalls at the event were the It’s BRAW festival, the Strathmore Centre for Youth Development (SCYD), who helped marshall the event, the Bike Station in Perth and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.
Perth and Kinross Council’s housing team also had a stall at the event which proved to be very popular throughout the afternoon.
They were looking for nominations from council tenants for the best garden and for neighbourhood angels in the area and will be holding an event in Blairgowrie to announce the nominations, all of whom will receive a £20 shopping voucher and a certificate. Winners from across the region will be announced later in the year.
Betty and Pat Marshall, together with Christine Fleming, ran the barbecue, selling burgers and hot dogs to raise funds for CHAS (Children’s Hospices Across Scotland).
The barbecue was one of a number of events that they are running throughout the year to support CHAS and they were delighted to raise £215.50 for the charity on the day.
Youngsters from the Blairgowrie and Rattray Community Football Club (BRCFC) were at the fun day demonstrating the skills that they have learned at the Saturday Soccer School through the year, and the club also had a fund-raising stall selling cakes and home baking.
Katrina Whyte is chair of the Loon Braes Parknership.
She told the Blairie: “The sun was shining as usual and there was a good turnout of local people. It was lovely to see families out in the park enjoying themselves.
“I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who came along and enjoyed the fun day.
“Thanks also to everyone who has been involved in putting the picnic together again this year, particularly Margaret Grant, Fiona Donaldson, Betty, Pat and Christine, John Corrigan and Sandy Thomson.
“It was another great community effort.”
However, Katrina went on to say that the Parknership was in desperate need of more volunteers and that this Picnic in the Park could be the last if more people didn’t come forward to help.
She said: “It would be good to get more volunteers to help run this event - at the moment it is just four of us who pull it together every year.
“If we had more people involved it would be even bigger and better and would lighten the load on the volunteers who work so hard to ensure it’s a great event.
“If we can’t get any more help the fun day won’t happen again, which would be a real shame as after six years it’s an established event in the calendar that everyone enjoys.”
John Corrigan, community capacity building worker at Perth and Kinross Council, said: “It was a great day. The weather was fantastic and lots of people seemed to be enjoying themselves in what was a very relaxed atmosphere.
“Well done to everyone involved in the event, particularly Katrina and the Parknership committee, and I would like to reiterate Katrina’s comments that it would be good to get more volunteers on board to help run the event and encourage more people to make the most of Davie Park.”
Sandy Thomson from BRCFC said: “It was great to be part of the Picnic in the Park for a fourth year.
“On behalf of the club I would like to give a big thanks to Donna, Sheila and Jennifer for their time and hard work in producing such a vast range of quality baking that was on sale to raise funds for fencing at the club’s Piggy Lane facility, also to all other parents who donated baking.
“Without the effort and enthusiasm of those volunteers it becomes very difficult for a community club to survive.”
Local councillors for the Blairgowrie and Glens ward were also at the event.
Cllr Caroline Shiers said: “Well done to all involved in running such a great event. I was delighted to see some excellent community stalls there.
Cllr Tom McEwan added: “This was a great afternoon and a very worthwhile event that brings the community together and gives residents a chance to meet and interact with a range of services that are there to support them.”
To get involved with the Loon Braes Parknership, which as well as organising the fun day also looks at ways to ensure the park is looked after for the benefit of the community, contact Katrina on 07860 431967 or email katrina.whyte67@ btinternet.com.