Last Saturday’s Community Showcase event in the Town Square has been hailed a success by organisers and stall holders.
The event, now in its second year, saw over 30 local businesses and organisations promoting their activities to shoppers at Bradley Stoke’s popular Willow Brook shopping centre.
The event got underway at 11am with a colourful flag-waving display from the South West Winterguard Academy, who meet regularly at Meadowbrook Primary School.
Mayor Ben Walker officially opened the fair at noon, with a short speech praising the participating organisations for contributing so much to the local community.
Cllr Walker later told The Journal:
“I thought it was a brilliant event, showcasing the support network which thrives within Bradley Stoke. It was fantastic to see so many groups and organisations there.
“With a move to ‘The Big Society‘, it seems Bradley stoke has a head start and sets the standard for its surrounding areas. A big thanks to Jackie from Southern Brooks who put together and ran the event on the day.”
Prominent throughout the event were members of the Bradley Stoke Radio team, who, apart from running their own stall, were out and about interviewing visitors and other stall holders.
Lucy Smith of Bradley Stoke Radio said:
“The community fair was a great opportunity to meet local residents and let people know what we are doing at Bradley Stoke Radio. It was a great chance to network with other community groups who will become part of our community broadcasts in the future.”
Winsome Barrett-Muir, Community Development worker with Southern Brooks Community Partnership, who organised the fair, said:
“As an organisation, we were very happy with the turnout from the local communities. The event hosted over 30 community groups and local businesses and all the stall holders felt it was profitable for them to be present, whether it was because they recruited more members, networked with other groups they didn’t know about or raised their profile in the community at large, they all felt glad that they were there.”
“Of the visitors to the showcase, 93% of people who took part in the survey said they had benefited from attending the event and only 7% people said they had not gained anything from the event.”
“Again, we are thankful for our partnership with The Willow Brook Centre, Bradley Stoke Matters magazine and the Aztec West Hotel.”
Organisations and businesses exhibiting at the fair included:
- Avon and Somerset Police
- Aztec West Hotel & Spa
- Babies on Boobs
- Bradley Stoke Bowls Club
- Bradley Stoke Community Radio Association
- Bradley Stoke Evangelical Church
- Bradley Stoke Journal
- Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre
- Bradley Stoke Library
- Bradley Stoke Matters
- Bradley Stoke Scouts
- Bradley Stoke Womens’ Institute
- The Care Forum
- Christ the King Church, Bradley Stoke
- Coniston Community Centre, Patchway
- Friends of Forty Acres, Stoke Gifford
- Little Stoke Garden Society
- Patchway Community Association
- Rotary Club of Bristol Aztec
- South West Winterguard Academy
- Stoke Gifford Trust Ground Improvement Group
- Three Brooks Nature Conservation Group
- Willow Brook Clinic
The winning raffle ticket number was 123. Claim your prize from SBCP before 15th October. More info: http://bit.ly/daYBTa
The Southern Brooks Community Showcase at the Willow Brook Centre, was a great way to meet other non profit making groups in the community. For us a new group it was good to develop our networking by letting people know we exist to inspire people through our demonstration of Winterguard to have a go at any activity, what ever your age or just enjoy to watch our Cadets perform for them.
I hope that they are planning to hold another Showcase in the future and we would be proud to perform again.
Ken Burrows
Core Director
South West Winterguard Academy
As the first raffle ticket winner has not come forward, SBCP has decided to choose another ticket. The ticket is number 153. More info: http://bit.ly/cugHzS