Around 3,500 people revelled in the Frome sunshine on Sunday 21st July, to celebrate the joy of childhood and family at the 10th anniversary of Frome Children’s Festival.
This annual, free event, designed and delivered by Frome-based family charity, Purple Elephant, brought over 40 activities and several thousand smiles to locals and visitors, ranging from a baby just three weeks old to one town resident who said, ‘I’m closer to 100 than 90. Let’s just leave it at that.’
Activities at the festival included zip wires over the river, live rescue owls, aerial silks workshops, forest school, puppetry, storytelling, creative activities, graffiti wall-painting, den-building, wildlife stalls, clay modelling, music workshops, theatre, accessible sports, a fairy trail, face painting, professional music-recording, BMX skills and even a silent disco in the evening.
“There was something for everyone on this most special of days,” said Children’s Festival founder Sue Willis. “This happy and successful day literally could not happen without the support of our amazing town.
“The list is long but please allow me to name-check: the army cadets for their incredible assistance, all the wonderful local volunteers who managed our queues and stewarded them with such grace, those providers who ran their activities for free on a voluntary basis; and Rotary Club volunteers who were invaluable in setting up and packing down.
“Also, Frome Town Council staff and volunteers, the Cheese and Grain staff and the local companies who provided so much, including Kevin Corcoran, Carpet Factory, the Independent Market, Sydenhams and our sponsors and funders Frome Town Council, Frome Town Rotary Clubs, Garfield Weston, the National Lottery and Dennis Maps. Our thanks as well go to the young people and young trainees who were integral in designing the event from the beginning.”
The Children’s Festival requests only donations from attendees, not a set entry price and has a ban on onsite merchandising. Sue says that thanks to partner organisation Fair Frome, Purple Elephant is even able to offer pay-what-you-can lunch wraps, reflecting its aim to be as accessible and inclusive as possible for Frome and area families.
Declaring the day a resounding success, one mother and father of three girls told the organisers, “We just played together all day. That is the first time I can ever remember all five of us just spending a whole day together simply playing. It was fantastic.”
Described by one visitor as ‘an abundance of love and positivity,’ the day’s revelries were perhaps summed up best by a local Frome resident who said he noticed ‘the impact of families being somewhere they are not constantly hounded for more money to do things, it’s such a different experience, for the children and their carers. I was really struck that I didn’t see at any stage in the whole day a child and a parent in stress; it was a very special day.”
Sue Willis added the organisers would also like to acknowledge those who donated a total of £2,300 collected via pre-booked tickets or by giving on the day.
She said, “Funding and grants are harder than ever to obtain. This is a big, expensive day to organise and this year’s event was hanging in the balance at one point. It was the first time we asked people to book and donate ahead and we are delighted to see that it has really made a noticeable difference. Thank you, Frome. See you next time!”
To learn more about Purple Elephant’s charitable services, which run all year-round in support of families facing any kind of disadvantage, or to become a sponsor of this vital charity, please go to www.PurpleElephant.org.uk
