How to plan a fete

I don’t mind admitting that I was somewhat puzzled as to where to start planning a fete. I’ve never done one before. However, I’m an expert in Googling.

A quick Google produced an Australian site: Fetes and festivals which produces a handy pdf document full of ideas.

This was actually quite scary, because, in addition to all the ideas for interesting stalls, there was a list of different paperwork and permits that might be required. The Telegraph added to the gloom, in an article warning that fetes were folding due to all the ‘Elf ‘n’ Safety bureaucracy required . Doom-laden, I sought out the fete’s previous organiser. Fortunately, she had a folder containing valuable information from the last two years’ fetes. My hero!

The first thing I found were minutes from the previous years. And it turns out that most years, it all starts with a discussion about finding a new venue! Who knew?

Also in this valuable treasure trove were names of previous volunteers, previous gotchas, and a very useful risk assessment document (I had learned from my Googling that risk assessment is Very Important).

From these various sources, I was able to put together an initial project plan, which I did using Trello. The plan can be found here – but bear in mind that it’s a working document!

I also called the district council to find out what we needed to do to close a road. Simply put, we would need to notify the affected residents, and then submit a form to the council at least 12 weeks before the event. This would just about fit in with the date of our next meeting, so with this preparatory work done, I headed over to Barcelona with DH for MWC and F1 Testing with a clear conscience.

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