On Friday 2 August a large event took place in Pittville Park and the Prince of Wales Stadium, which attracted a lot of families from all over Cheltenham for a free family fun day. The event was organised by the No Family Left Behind (NFLB) team, which is led by Cheltenham Borough Council (CBC), and is supported by Gloucestershire County Council, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and the Cheltenham Lottery and other local partners. NFLB is a project in Cheltenham to help all young people to thrive. In 2018 it was reported that there were around 4,400 children in Cheltenham living in poverty.
The Prince of Wales Stadium, renamed the Olympic Stadium for the day, was hosted by the local charity Move More, who help children to be physically active. A wide range of sporting activities was available for children including cricket, football, karate and a climbing wall.
The Agg Gardner recreation ground became the Olympic Village and was hosted by CBC. In attendance were the police and the fire brigade, whose fire engine was a very popular attraction. There were bouncy castles, and a big top which became the World Jungle and was operated by a children’s entertainer. There were also stalls for a range of local organisations such as Art Space, the Cheltenham Animal Shelter, Cheltenham Tigers RFC, Gloucestershire Libraries and the Springbank Community Group. Food was provided free for those who registered for the fun.
On the west side of the park there were also activities in the Skatepark, renamed the Extreme Sports Arena for the day, with sports including fencing, tennis, archery and of course skateboarding. The area in front of the Pump Room became the Main Stage, where local children’s groups performed, and the Pump Room lawn hosted stalls and demonstrations. Amongst these were an advice village, the NHS, fun science, gymnastics and creative arts therapy.
It was lovely to see so many people in the park, enjoying themselves on a beautiful summer’s day, at such a worthwhile and very well organised event supporting families across Cheltenham.
Author: Chris Archibald