Family beach fun

Around 3,500 people attended Boston’s two-day beach event at Central Park on 10 and 11 August. The event was sponsored by Boston Big Local, delivered by Boston Borough Council, and supported by partner agencies Mayflower Housing, Boston Children’s Centre, Transported Arts and Boston United in the Community.

This year the beach was built with over 30 tonnes of sand – making it twice as big as last year. Families gathered on and around the beach to relax and enjoy the entertainment on offer, which included donkey rides, bouncy castles, circus skills and arts and crafts activities.

Francis Taylor, Boston Borough Council’s Play and Physical Activity Officer was responsible for organising the event. She said: “It was great to see how many children enjoyed the simple pleasure of getting their shoes and socks off and playing in the sand. To bring the community together in this way is amazing. All of the activities on offer were enjoyed by everyone. Even Mums and Dads had a great time in the arts and crafts area and remarked what a fantastic event it was, and all for free. With the support of all organisations involved and especially Boston Big Local and the Community Showcase Partnership who both helped fund the event, I really hope we can continue to repeat this brilliant event in the future.”

Rachel Lauberts from Boston Big Local said: “We’ve received lots of positive comments from families who were at Boston Beach. As the event has proved so popular and successful,  Boston Big Local has decided to continue to fund it throughout the ten year Big Local project. This will mean that families will be able to enjoy beach days in Central Park for a further eight years.”

Comments from some of the families attending:

“Thank you for a fab day out where I can let my three children enjoy everything without having to worry about the cost. It’s a first coming out and not having to say ‘sorry, no I can’t afford it.’ It means a lot to have this family day out. Loads of fun thank you!”

“What a fab day out. We came last year and loved it. It’s not very often you get a free family day out. The extra big sand pit is also great. Keep up the good work. Thank you.”

“A good day and free. It’s great that it’s available for people with not a lot of money. Good variety of activities.”

“A fab free day to bring everyone together.”

“It’s a fun day and a very nice sand pit and crafts.”

“A really good day. Great to get the community together. Loved the crafting, donkeys, tattoos and bouncy castles. We can’t afford to do much with our son, so it’s great we can have a free day out and have so much fun without spending a penny.”

“Absolutely fabulous. The children have had such a lovely time in a safe, fun environment. We really appreciate the time and effort put into organising this event. Thank you! We are three very happy mums and seven happy children!”