HUNDREDS of people met police and firefighters and tried out some of the equipment they rely on at the Emergency Services Fun Day in Page Park.
Visitors were able to try on police helmets and stab vests, get shut inside a police van’s locking cell and sit in a fire engine from Kingswood fire station.
The five-hour event on September 7, organised by the Avon & Somerset Outreach Team, also gave people the opportunity to get bikes security marked, pick up crime prevention and careers advice and visit stalls from organisations including Great Western Air Ambulance, South Gloucestershire Council Community Conversations, Frenchay After Burns, Jessie May Trust and South Gloucestershire Race Equality Network.
Abdulkadir Sheikhusein of the Avon & Somerset Outreach Team said: “It was our second year holding this fantastic event, and we’re thrilled with how well it went.
“The park was packed with a wonderfully diverse crowd, and we estimate that at least 600 people attended.
“The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and it’s clear that the event brought the community together in a meaningful way.
“We look forward to making next year’s event even bigger and better.”
The police team was supported by the Friends of Page Park, who set up games stalls and sold plants and copies of next year’s park calendar.
Friends vice-chair Steph Purser said the event raised more than £800 to support future activities and improvements in the park, including more than £500 from calendar sales.
She said: “I can’t believe we managed the event without any rain after the weather we had for the previous few days – the sun even showed for a while.
“All the exhibitors had a good day and thoroughly enjoyed meeting so many people.”
Dress to impress
FAMILIES are being invited to dress up their children – and pets – in their scariest costumes for this year’s Pumpkin Patch event.
The pre-Halloween fun day takes place in Page Park on Saturday October 19, from 11am-3pm.
As well as the traditional children’s fancy dress contest, this year for the first time a costume competition for dogs will also be held.
The competitions will be judged by the local police beat team.
The Friends of Page Park need volunteers who can spare an hour or two to help run the event, and are appealing for groups and sports teams who usually use the park to muck in.
Anyone who can help should email friendsofpageparkbs16@gmail.com, visit the Friends Facebook page or website at
www.friendsofpagepark.co.uk.
New friends for Hill House Park
PEOPLE who want to help bring new life to an open space in Downend are being invited to a meeting this month.
Plans to create an accessible nature reserve, including a new pond, wood, hedgerow and picnic area at Hill House Park, on Hill House Road, were reported in last month’s Voice.
Staple Hill & Mangotsfield councillor Katie Cooper, who is working with Downend & Bromley Heath Parish Council and South Gloucestershire Council on the project, has set up a meeting to revive the park’s friends group on October 21 at 7pm, at Staple Hill Community Hub in Berkeley Road.
The green space was given to the community by Alderman Arthur William Page, who also donated the land for Page Park, and was used as a school playing field until around 20 years ago.
The Friends of Page Park have been liaising with councillors on how to set up a group, and Friends vice-chair Steph Purser said: “This is an exciting project which needs the support of a good friends group to lead it.”