Broadgreen Fun Day brings broad smiles (From Swindon Advertiser)

Broadgreen Fun Day brings broad smiles

10:50am Monday 16th August 2010 in News By David Wiles

ARTS workshops, a local history display and food from different cultures were among the attractions at the fourth Broadgreen Fun Day on Saturday.

The free event, which aimed to build links between different sections of the community, drew dozens of people to the Broadgreen Centre in Salisbury Street.

Broad Street Area Community Council, a residents’ association and charity, organised the fun day.

Karen Leakey, who chairs the council, said: “The aim was to bring people together, to get them to know each other, break down the barriers, and just to have fun.

“It was a really good day. People were really happy and positive about the event. Some people were sat down talking, making new friends, and a lot of the Goan community came too which was really welcome.”

The fun day was opened jointly by Swindon South MP Robert Buckland and John Popowicz, area manager for Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service.

The hall was lined with stalls selling cakes and bric-a-brac, and there were also information stands for other organisations, including Swindon Council and Wiltshire Police.

Young children enjoyed arts and crafts workshops and tried their hands at several creative activities, including making hats, decorating masks, colouring in a summer picture and making a hand puppet.

Meanwhile some of the older children played Wii Sports on the big screen or went into the youth room to play pool and table tennis.

In the lounge, the Broadgreen and Queenstown History Group held an exhibition showcasing old photographs of the area. Several residents also brought in copies of their own photos and documents to add to the collection.

Towards the end of the day, free food which had been donated by residents was shared out to allow everyone a taste of cooking from different cultures.

Olencia Vales, who lives in Broadgreen, attended the fun day with husband Vincent and their children Lizanne, four, and Ehren, one.

She said: “It was an awesome day. The children really enjoyed it. It was a really good idea to have a community event.

“We met different people and talked to them.”