Connaught – Party in the Park

Saturday 14 June saw us at the Peasedown St John Party in the Park. To attract the children,
in addition to the usual helium ballons, we held a free draw for cuddly toys, having raided the
local charity shops. And, of course, once we had drawn them in it gave us chance to engage
with their parents and invite to the Open Lodge the following Wednesday evening, as part of
the Membership Challenge.

We had a relatively successful day, though not as many people turned up as in previous years;
even disappointing the organisers. Heavy thundery showers were forecast, which proved to
be the case during the afternoon, meaning many left early. It was also noticeable that by about
two-thirty many of the dads had disappeared, presumably to watch Bath against Leicester at
Twickenham, with Bath winning the premiership by just two points. The Robbie Williams
concert in Bath also probably drew some away as well.

By the time we held the draw for the cuddly toys, and with more rain clouds looming, there
were only a few hardy souls left around the beer bar. Fortunately, we had phone numbers for
the winners and all were subsequently distributed.

Though on Saturday several accepted our invitation to the Open Lodge Evening, sadly come
the day none of them turned up even though reminders were sent to them. Nevertheless, we
did have some personal friends, and a person who had seen the feature in the local newspaper
attend, and showed a positive interest in joining.

Chris James
Charity Steward