Holding a cultural event in a park is a great way to bring communities together, but planning is key to ensure it is a success, and everybody has fun!
We asked Kevin Hawkins, Community Development Coordinator at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, to share his knowledge on how to make sure the whole process goes smoothly.
“Fail to plan, plan to fail” could not be more true… so allow yourself plenty of time
For even the smallest events, you should ideally be starting at least 6 months ahead.
Brainstorm!
What do you want to do, where do you want to do it, who do you want to involve and how?
Contact the right people
Once you have brainstormed, it’s then important to get in-touch with the landowner to gain permission. There will be a process to follow to gain permission with organisations such as local councils. The process will normally depend on the size and nature of your event – For example a community fun day is very different to a firework show.
The process will be something like this…
- If you wish to hold an event in Stoke – please email communities@stoke.gov.uk or call 01782 233265 and we will have a friendly talk through or your wishes/plans
- The safety of your attendees is paramount but don’t let this daunt you, we can give advice. It will be necessary to complete and submit a risk assessment (RA) and you will also need public liability insurance (PLI). We will also need a basic site plan to show where you will hold your activities. You may also need employers’ liability insurance, as some insurers class event volunteers as employees. Check your PLI to see if it covers volunteers – the council will ask to see that evidence. Volunteers are the people most likely to need insurance so this is important.
- For the site plan, go to the park itself, identify access points including for vehicles, consider things like weight restrictions or the impact of possible weather conditions. This should also be sent to the landowner.
- Event Management Plans are more important the larger an event gets. Things to bear in mind when writing your plan:
- Sell your event – terms like ‘Method Statement’ can be off-putting, but it’s just a fancy way of saying: what do you want to do and why, who is involved, how will it be safe and so on.
- Include all risk assessments and other supporting documents.
- Don’t assume the people reading the plan already understand anything about what you are doing.
- It’s important you’re upfront about everything you want to do. Some activities have a higher risk than others, for example a bouncy castle has lots of dangers and risks involved. We need to see that all activities are insured, have a method statement, RA and certificate.
- This may sound daunting but don’t let it put you off, advice is on hand and we will help you with this. As mentioned earlier, giving yourselves plenty of time will make writing these plans much easier.
- For Stoke-on-Trent City Council, at least two months’ notice is necessary for events up to 500 people, it is longer notice periods for larger events. This period allows the council to consider the event request. The city council declines to host events which it is informed of at short notice.
- For bigger events, with 500 or more people or those that are particularly high profile or potentially dangerous at least three months’ notice should be given, but the longer in advance the better.
- You may be referred to a Safety Advisory Group (SAG) who will ask to see all relevant documents, and raise any safety issues.
Will there be alcohol at your event?
Most parks in the city have a premises license for events, but they do not include an alcohol license. If you wish to sell alcohol, you will need a Temporary Events Notice (TEN). This must be submitted at least 10 days before the event, but as always, the earlier the better and you’ll need someone with an alcohol license. You can only apply for a TEN if your event will be attended by less than 500 people, if more you will need a premises license. Please be aware that parks may not be suitable for beer and gin festivals, for example, because they are usually in the centre of residential areas.
Safety is paramount
Stoke-on-Trent City Council wants events to take place and we host well over 100 events in our parks every year. Its important for you to be mindful though that as soon as you invite the public, you have a duty of care and legal responsibility to keep them safe. The landowner will ask for these reassurances, as they also have a legal responsibility. As mentioned earlier, contact the landowner early on and create a positive working relationship with them.
Promote it!
Don’t assume everyone knows your event is happening. Use as many ways as possible to promote it depending on your budget. You might consider: social media, posters, press (in Stoke-on-Trent, BBC Radio Stoke and the Sentinel are good contacts for example), getting in touch with local community groups and asking if they can help, and if you have budget, investing in targeted advertising. But remember to not start advertising until you have permission from the landowner to host the event.
On the day, it never goes completely to plan. Here’s how you can make it go as smoothly as possible:
- Make sure volunteers are briefed and know what they’re doing, both beforehand and on the day. You should create a briefing sheet to distribute this information.
- Give every volunteer the site plan and risk assessment – tell them to look through it and follow it on the day.
- Decide how you will communicate: will you use walkie talkies or provide a list of mobile numbers?
- On the day, do a walk around of the site to make sure it is all safe before it opens to the public. Do not allow members of the public near to something that is unsafe. You can contact Stoke-on-Trent City Council in an emergency on 01782 232211.
- Afterwards, make sure you leave the land how you found it and clear up any litter.
- Always remember that the safety of everyone is paramount above all else.
The above is just a guide and procedures are subject to change. Please never hesitate to contact us to discuss your event idea by emailing communities@stoke.gov.uk or call 01782 233265 and we will have a friendly talk through your wishes/plans.
Good luck!
Written by
Kevin Hawkins
Community Development Co-ordinator, Stoke-on-Trent City Council