By Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport
Over £3,000 has been raised through the generosity of families enjoying the 2024 Botanic Gardens Family Fun Day in Churchtown in Southport.
The popular annual event, sponsored by Checkers of Churchtown, saw thousands of people spend Father’s Day inside a park filled with over 50 different activities, with free admission for all.
There were giant bubbles; live music; bands; The Atkinson Wellbeing Choir, talented youngsters from six local dance schools, AllDay’s farm; food and drink; donkey rides; a Merseyside Police team; fairground rides; giant inflatables; trampolines; birds of prey; a brass band; games; and more besides.
Volunteers from Southport Saviours were demonstrating how to save someone’s life using a defibrillator.
Photo by Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport
All the stalls available were full, with craft stalls, novelty stalls, and charity stalls.
The Settle Inn was busy serving food, drinks and ice creams to happy customers.
The Botanic Gardens Family Fun Day was once again organised by Jess Rickers, who led a team of volunteers to stage one of the town’s biggest family events.
Photo by Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport
Every penny raised will go towards helping the volunteers from the Botanic Gardens Community Association to carry on maintaining the historic park.
Jess Rickers said: “I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who came to support, enjoy and volunteer at the Botanic Gardens Family Fun Day.
“Thank you for all of the kind comments and smiles.
“Thank you also for every single donation to the Botanic Gardens Community Association. They are gratefully received. We appreciate your generosity.
Photo by Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport
“An extra thank you to some special people from the event: Andrew Brown, Phil Brown, Josh, David Cobham, Paul Sherman, David Rawsthorne, all of the Botanic Gardens Community Association team, Green Sefton and all of the team, John Dempsey, Martin Sarbutts, Team Settle Inn and lastly a huge shout to Xander’s Fish Bar who came short notice to help us out serving food to the masses! Massively recommend these guys for any events.
“Make A Change For Botanic together.”
David Rawsthorne, who founded the Make A Change For Botanic campaign group, said: “Can I give a massive shout out and a huge round of applause to Jess Rickers for organising and successfully achieving a super successful third Father’s Day fun day.
“I may have started the campaign in my grief over three years ago now, but without the superwomen who got involved none of this would have happened, love and appreciate everything Jess has done.
“Also massive thanks to Lucy Smith-Crallan who organised the sportsman’s dinner in the campaign’s first year.
Photo by Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport
“None of this would have happened without these two strong ladies.
“Love and respect, you’ve truly made a change for Botanic.”
The Botanic Gardens Family Fun Day is a really local community event, organised for families in Southport to enjoy.
Jess Rickers said: “Our last family fun days have seen thousands of families coming out to enjoy this magnificent park.
“We want to show everyone, including organisations such as the National Lottery Heritage Fund, how much this park is loved, enjoyed and appreciated by the local community.
“The Botanic Gardens is definitely the people’s park and we all want to see investment being made to make it even better.”
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