Swindon is celebrating two significant milestones this year... Not only is it the 175th Anniversary of 'New Swindon' (when the Great Western Railway came to town), but it's also the 150th Anniversary of The Children's Fete! 

Started in 1866 by the first generation GWR workers, this wonderful community cultural event ran right up until the Second World War.  It was resurrected by the Mechanics' Institution Trust in 2003, who have run the event almost every year since.

This year's event takes place on Saturday 9th July, from 12pm - 10pm, in the GWR Park on Faringdon Road...  For more info follow the facebook event page here:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1767648153455490/
 

Why we need funding!

It’s important that this event is free to attend so that children from all backgrounds can enjoy this town-wide celebration, therefore we can't rely on ticket sales to cover our costs.

We're expecting crowds of up to 10,000 people this year and so costs of holding the event (things like toilets, security, insurance, first aid cover etc) have almost doubled!  We’ve been fortunate in receiving a grant from the Big Lottery which will cover some of the core costs, however we are seeking additional funds to make this a successful event – and as special as it deserves to be.
 

What we will spend it on!

We hope this year to create a ‘step-back-in-time’ and to - as much as possible - recreate the original event of Victorian times.  In particular, we are hoping to bring in traditional fairground rides - just like the ones that children in those times were able to enjoy.  All money raised through this campaign will enable us to hire a traditional-style Helter Skelter!

These rides are expensive to hire and as a charity we can't risk not making our money back on the day, so we need to raise the funds upfront.  There are other aspects of the original event that we have tried to keep, such as giving out cake to children, a crowd photo and fireworks.

We are seeking local donations for the first time this year, through this crowdfunding page...  If just 300 people gave £10 each, we will reach our target! 

In return for your contribution, we will reward you with free tickets to ride the traditional-style Helter Skelter or the Steam-powered Carousel.  You can either give these to a child you know, or be greedy and keep them all to yourself – they are adults' rides too after-all : )

We are also looking for local businesses to sponsor the event.  If you would like to become a sponsor, or buy advertising in the event programme, please contact sponsorship@mechanics-trust.org.uk