Party in the Paddock

LongWittenham.com finds out all about it from Sally Duff

Party in the Paddock, this is a new event for the village, tell me about it.

This year the Wittenham Warriors are entering two teams in the Abingdon Dragon Boat racing on Sept 8th. Some teams raise their entry fees by asking family and friends for sponsorship.

But the philosophy behind the Warriors has always been that we’d rather raise funds for charities by putting on an event that can be enjoyed by donors.

The first tranche of funding was raised by the Al Fresco Safari Supper. That money has gone to the Rotary Club for their good causes. We like to be able to support charities that are close to the interests of the village and so we needed another ‘big’ event to raise ‘big’ funds.

But why a Party in the Paddock?

The inspiration was really the Jubilee Street party. It brought the whole village together, everyone was welcome and got involved if they wished to. It’ll be a long time before there is another Jubilee so why not just have a Village party!

What will the format be?

We’re keeping it quite simple as this is the first one. On stage we will have six bands, so there should be something for everyone. The bands all have a local connection and are all playing for free as the proceeds are going to local charities. We’ll be selling beer, soft drinks and burgers but we hope people will bring along a picnic and their own chairs etc. And Partygoers who pre-book can bring along their own Gazebos if they are concerned about the weather.

Is poor weather a worry?

Not really; these days people of all ages attend festivals regardless of the weather and some of the best open-air National Trust concerts have been when the heavens open and people bop and boogie even harder.

What about facilities?

Our Events licence requires us to limit attendance to 500 people; we will have loos on site, first aid facilities and plenty of marshals to ensure everyone enjoys themselves in a safe environment.

What makes you think it’ll succeed?

Wittenham Warriors has a good track record of making a success of their events, perhaps the best-attended is the annual Bonfire Party which now attracts 300-400 each year.

And who will benefit this time?

About 10 charities were nominated by those involved with the Dragon Boat event, they were then asked to select their top three and Partygoers will get to choose how the proceeds are split between these three.

And they are?

They were all very worthy causes, however the three chosen are Young Dementia UK, Footsteps & Clifton Hampden & Burcot Scout Group.

It’s sounds as though its going to be a fun filled family evening, we can’t wait!

For tickets contact Sally Duff 407788 or email richsal2000@yahoo.co.uk