BLAZING sunshine, a patch of grass and a few cold drinks were all that was needed for Saddleworth’s latest Summer Fete – but it took the Scouthead and Austerlands Community Group to make it one of the region’s best.
More than 500 people made the trek to Dawson’s Field on Saturday, August 8 for an afternoon of games, drinks, and dance, put together entirely by the group’s dedicated volunteers.
Families were treated to a host of activities, including a sheep petting zoo, tug of war and sack racing, as well as a range of stalls selling everything from plastic swords to tombola tickets – whose prizes were also donated by Saddleworth’s small businesses.
“It’s been really, really good,” said committee member Nicola Harvey. “We’re really pleased, especially as it’s the new committee’s first event as well.
“We’ve really gotten stuck in, we only had eight weeks to put this together. It’s been challenging, but we’re dead happy with it.”
The Scouthead and Austerlands Community Group meets on the first Tuesday of the month at The Three Crowns in Scouthead, and hosts a range of community events across the year.
In July, they hosted their second-ever Motor Show, which saw hundreds of cars, vans, tractors, and even steam engines line up across the fields for an afternoon of appreciation.
But the Summer Fete is the first event put together this year after the Scouthead and Austerlands Community Group’s shake-up.
In June, it was facing an uncertain future, as it was left without enough volunteers to run its committee.
That was until Nicola and fellow new resident Jackie Ridding stepped forward at the last minute, securing the organisation’s future for another few years.
Speaking to the Saddleworth Independent, Nicola said the Summer Fete had been a long time coming – but above all, well worth the effort.
She added: “When we met for the committee that first time, nothing had been done for this.
“No stalls had been taken we hadn’t booked the field, there wasn’t a date… so we just pulled it all together. We got on the internet, asked people if they wanted stalls and things.
“What we’ve done is, anybody who’s providing a service or is a community group come in free. And then everybody else, we asked for a small donation.
“We’re really pleased with it. Really pleased. Like I said, going forward we’re hoping to have loads more events. There’s been so many people who have been willing to help.”
“It’s been such a steep learning curve, because we’ve basically done it on our own,” Jackie said. “For the next event, we’ll be more prepared.
“But considering we didn’t know each other eight weeks ago, we’ve done really well. We’ve all had our individual roles, all doing different things, but we’ve really pulled together.
“Overall we’ve done very well. Very well.”
Looking ahead, it is set to be an eventful few months for the residents of Scouthead and Austerlands.
The community group is currently in talks with the neighbouring Three Crowns Inn to arrange a Hallowe’en pumpkin hunt, as well as a range of Christmas events.
There are also hopes to host a brand new movie night in the field as Nicola revealed: “We’ve got loads of ideas for what we’re going to do.
“We’re thinking of a movie night, where everyone brings a picnic blanket and we’ll have a projector, watching ‘Die Hard’ at Christmas. We’re thinking of having a band for an afternoon. It will be a great time!”
With the group now counting the earnings from the day, the team is confident that this year’s Summer Fete will have raised hundreds of pounds, all of which will be spent on more events going forward.
“A few weeks ago we purchased some football nets,” Nicola said. “They stay here on the field 24 hours a day.
“We’ve also purchased a storage box, so we’re going to put footballs in it, maybe some frisbees – things that are safe, we’re just going to leave out so that the kids can come and play.
“It’s a very small step, but we’re making it. As a community, nobody wanted to do the flower beds, nobody wanted to join the committee, but we’ve got people now who take on little odd jobs and keep it going.
“We had a gentleman in one of the flats who cleared all the road of weeds, all down the pavement, all down the roadsides, it looks absolutely amazing. He’s done it every night this week.
“It really does feel like we’ve got a community starting. It’s all just local people, and some people don’t want to commit to things, but we’ve always got a name when we need somebody.
“Next year will be better. But how could it be better than this?”
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