Friday, May 6, 2011

Longton park events scrapped after insurance fee increase

TWO key community events have been scrapped after a hike in insurance costs.

The Queens Park Partnership stages a series of activities at the Longton park throughout the year.

But it has announced that its annual fun day and carnival, and the garden show, due to take place in June and July, will not be going ahead.

The group made the decision after the price of insurance rose by �120 for each event it stages.

Members of the self-funded group, which works towards the development and improvement of Queens Park, have admitted that more scheduled events may be cancelled in the near future if things do not look up.

Group treasurer Lilian Dodd, aged 60, said: "All of the residents who attend the events are sad that they have to be cancelled, but I think this is a sign of things to come.

"We chose to cancel the events that seemed less successful last year so the others, which were better attended, can still go ahead.

"The insurance has gone up so we'd have to sell an awful lot of raffle tickets before we have enough money to stage the events."

The cost to stage activities, such as the World Fair Trade Day being held tomorrow, used to be �480, but is now �600.

And Mrs Dodd admitted cutbacks in the parks department at Stoke-on-Trent City Council was also having an impact on the group's work.

She added: "With the cutbacks it is getting more and more difficult to arrange park staff for the events.

"They are needed to open the toilets for example, but we have been told that this will be difficult to arrange now.

"We'll keep working though."

The group, established in 2008, is made up of residents' associations, schools and churches and has around 14 members.

Through numerous grant schemes, the partnership has been able to make improvements to the lakes, paths, and the children's play area at the park. However the funding is not enough to secure the future of all of the events staged annually by the group, usually at weekends.

Chairman Sue Whalley, aged 64, said: "We just can't afford to stage the events anymore now the insurance has gone up.

"But the local community has shown a lot of support to the partnership over the last few years and I have no doubt that this will continue."

Artists and entertainers have already been booked for some of the planned events which will still go ahead.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council confirmed that the authority's ground maintenance staff work Monday to Friday each week and oversee several parks each.



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