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The AHSRA Playing Field and Pavilion have hosted many community and fund raising events.
** UPCOMING FREE EVENT : Lighting of the Christmas Tree 2023 – Friday 8th December 5:45-8pm
Lights Switch on at 6:15 – Free mini lights trail for children – Carol singing – Come and get into the christmas spirit, enjoy the music, twinkly lights and brazier.
Food and drink available from 5:45pm – Soup, Hot Dogs, Licensed Bar, Mulled Wine, Mince Pies etc
Please bring cash as the bar (weetwood ales, peroni, wine) will be cash payment only.
The car park will be closed (disabled parking only) so please walk if possible or park responsibly.
This is an outdoor event in the dark – so wrap up warm, bring a torch and children should be supervised by an adult at all times.
Below are just a few of the many events that have taken place over the years. There are more pictures on the gallery page.
The Coronation Big Lunch May 2023 with Decorated Wheelbarrow Races. It was a lovely sunny afternoon for a picnic and the BBQ, Bar and Cafe did a roaring trade. We were entertained by ‘Ashton Folk’ and there were traditional sidestall games – coconut shy, buzzer and splat the rat – tug of war and a beacon lighting.
There was a Grand Parade of the amazingly decorated wheelbarrows before the ‘carriage’ racing, with different races for age groups, started. The sack, 3-legged and egg-and-spoon races were great fun. Great to see so many people there on the day, joining in with the racing and enjoying the playground and field.
The Lighting of the Christmas Tree 2022 took place on a very cold and frosty evening under a clear moonlit sky
Father Christmas switched on the lights and there was a free mini lights trail around the footpath for children, with fun questions to answer, and letters to collect and unscramble.
There were hot drinks, mulled wine, mince pies and mini chocolate logs from the cafe and beer or wine from the bar.
It was lovely to have some carol singers under the tree and to see so many people braving the very icy pavements and bitter cold to support the event.
With the awning on the patio and the chinese hat tents lit with fairy lights and christmas music playing it was very festive.
The Lighting of the Beacon event to mark the start of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend of celebrations in June 2022.
A great turnout on the night. The bar served Weetwood Ales and there were hot dogs while we watched the morris-dancing. The Cafe served hot and cold drinks and there was Jubilee tart to taste.
As the sun went down the beacon was lit and we could see other beacons in the distance.
June 2017 – 300 of us got together at the café and marquee for a ‘Big Tea Party’ in memory of Jo Cox MP, murdered in her constituency in 2016. We were among 9.3 million people across the country honouring Jo’s memory with over 110,000 ‘Great Get Together’ events. It was not run as a fundraiser but thanks to the generosity of local people raised £600, which was shared between the Jo Cox Foundation, Ash-worth Timebank and St John’s Church.
October 2017 – Locals turned out in force for cuppas and cakes at the café in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support raising more than £550. Run by our sensational team of bakers and volunteers for a charity which does so much for so many.
December 2017 – Fairy lights and a heated awning made the cafe a lovely venue for a Christmas party. More than 50 people enjoyed food and drink at the fundraising event. All profits went to AHSRA to help towards the maintenance and improvements of the Pavilion, Playing Field and Playground.
In the run up to the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June 2022 the cafe had a visit from the cardboard pop-up queen being used across our social media channels to advertise the many events taking place over the celebration weekend. She can be seen here checking out the cafe as the Queen Elizabeth II Playing Field was the venue for both the Lighting of the Beacon event on the Thursday evening and and the Village Fete event on the Sunday afternoon.
