Chairman Says:
It was after much deliberation – watching the clouds outside and every weather forecast that we’d been following the week previous – that we made the very difficult decision to cancel the Music in the Park. It wasn’t I assure you, a decision we took lightly and didn’t throughout the day wonder if it had been the right one. Until 3pm that is when it started to rain. Boy/Girl! was I glad it rained!
A lot of people have said “Why didn’t you do this, why didn’t you do that?” These people have obviously never organised a major event.
Our first consideration had to be the VERY expensive sound and electrical equipment that someone had very kindly loaned to us free of charge. This would have been totally ruined with a slightest of rainfall. Then there’s the musical instruments – again, the expensive risk of ruin by rainfall.
Would you have gone to an outdoor event if it was forecast rain? No, I didn’t think so. I certainly wouldn’t have and I make an effort to support groups such as ourselves.
If I can expand – this is what we had to consider:
The Safer Neighbourhood Team: (Working on their day off) putting out car parking signs; distributing litter bins, including different recycling ones, throughout the park; providing car parking duties, putting up barriers, and litter clearing afterwards. Two police officers included in this.
Volunteers: (working on their weekend off) Doing litter picking of the area all Sunday morning; clearing up the dog poo left by unscrupulous and uncaring dog owners; setting up all the instructional signs (which incidentally we had to do anyway to advise people of the cancellation); setting up the band area; erecting gazebos and information points; putting up sponsors banners; giving out programmes; selling raffle tickets; ensuring the overall running of the concert went smoothly; clearing the site (so we didn’t have to pay a penalty); helping take everything away afterwards and removing all signs and equipment.
Roger Tuby’s team: (local supportive business man) bringing their refreshments and entertainment rides for the children, erecting and removing the same. (They had already arrived by the time we decided to cancel).
The band players – all setting off from different locations having allocated this Sunday as an event day, setting up and clearing away afterwards. Using up a Sunday of their weekend off.
Ready Steady Store staff: (major sponsors) – loading up gazebo’s and supplies of water to turn up and assist with the function – they had already arrived before we decided to cancel. Again – their weekend off.
Other raffle sponors: They provided raffle prizes such as The Red Tomato, The Wheatley Hotel, The Yorkshire Wildlife Centre, Sandall Park Cafe, 1St Electrical and Fakefestivals.
So you see, all those that said – “A bit of rain – are they wimps?” It’s not that simple. A lot of people sacrificed a whole day off for the enjoyment of others – only for it to be cancelled at the last minute. It’s especially bad for Ron Ketley, our musical director who put an exceptional amount of effort into organising this, despite having undergone two major operations whilst in the midst of organising it.
Do you have £5,000 – £10,000 to spare to put up a marquee so it can go ahead regardless? Can you put on a FREE concert so that people of all ages can go to a lovely local park and enjoy traditional musical entertainment by a nationally recognised concert band without risk of going bankrupt? Yes? We’d love for you to join our group! Please contact me at your earliest convenience.
We will be re-scheduling the concert for a date later in the year.
Sandra Crabtree
Chairman Friends of Sandall Park
