Group left "gutted" after morale boosting community event is pulled after months of preparation

A community group which had worked for months to organise a morale-boosting fun day for youngsters and spent thousands in the process is “gutted” after North Lanarkshire Council told them it could not take place after all.
Motherwell Civic CentreMotherwell Civic Centre
Motherwell Civic Centre

Volunteers at Thorniewood Community Council learned last week that their It’s A Knockout-style bash at Gala Day Park was not permitted to take place on Saturday, August 14 because of Scottish Government restrictions on social gathering.

Shellshocked organiser Rab Cassidy got in touch with the Motherwell Times - admitting that colleagues had struggled to come to terms with the news which was delivered last week.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He said: “We have worked tirelessly for months to try and make this event happen and have spent thousands of pounds on securing permits and activities for the event

"Now we’ve been told that the council and the Scottish Government are not permitting any events on any green space or parks that the council own for the rest of 2021 due to Covid-19 restrictions.

“We know that the whole community was looking forward to this and it was amazing to see such a great response from everybody wanting to be involved from people signing up for teams to local businesses having stalls at the event.

“But it’s out of our control. We will aim to reschedule and be back bigger and better when we are allowed. The whole of the Thorniewood Community Council is gutted at this decision.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A council spokesperson said that outdoor events would be limited to sports clubs only and that large gatherings could simply not be permitted.

She added: “While understandably, event organisers are keen to start planning for outdoor events, we are mindful that Covid-19 is still very much with us and in line with Government guidance, are continuing to take a cautious approach to events that attract large crowds

"We have taken the decision not to host large outdoor events in 2021 but will assist organisers to plan for next year.

"However, we do want to support local sport and community groups resume activities in greenspace without encouraging large groups to attend that may impact on the safety of local people enjoying parks.”​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.