Cassie James spoke to Alan Adams the General Manager of Southport Flower Show and Victoria Park Events this week on her Mid-Morning Mighty Radio Show.
They talked about the cancellation of the Flower Show for the second year in a row and how this affects the park finances as well as the upcoming events scheduled to be held in Victoria Park in July.
“We closely monitored the situation over the last few months with the government roadmap the easing of restrictions and the vaccination programme but we had to make a decision and there was really no other decision we could take other than cancelling the show.
“The show is the big thing that happens in Victoria Park so the cancellation is going to be a big blow to us but we do have other things in the pipeline this year we got a massive event coming in July this year, one night is UB40 then the day after we have comedy in the park.
“A great weekend of music and fantastic comedy to look forward to.
“The production company that we are using are very professional they have produced excellent event plans, all covid safe, all covid compliant.
“What we want to do here is not just use people who want to hire the park out and give it a go, we have to make sure the companies hiring the park out are professional, they do things properly and they keep everyone safe in these uncertain times.
“I don’t think many people realise that Victoria park isn’t council run. We are a privately managed company which is a registered charity and all the money that we make through the profits of the show and other park bookings go to the upkeep and maintenance of Victoria Park.
“We have a wonderful 34-acre site right here in the centre of town, its beautifully kept, we keep it clean we keep it tidy for everybody to enjoy but we get no money from elsewhere we have to rely on the show and other park bookings. It’s unfortunate that sometimes we do have to hire the park out to a couple of caravan rallies through the year but its my intention this year to keep the park open as long as I possibly can for all to enjoy and also bring new events into the town.
“With the show not taking part last year and being cancelled again this year our financial situation is a bit of a challenge.
“We have a fantastic group of volunteers who support us during the show in August, we couldn’t put the show on without them, we owe a debt to them all.
“We are looking out for new volunteers to help us look after the park all year round. Unfortunately, due to the financial situation, we have had to let a few staff go so we are relying on volunteers to come and do a bit of weeding, bit of litter picking, general maintenance here and there and if anyone is interested in joining us please contact me at the flower show office.
For details of the upcoming events in Victoria Park visit www.victoriaparkevents.co.uk
For more fantastic local interviews and great music, tune in to the Cassie James Mid-Morning Mighty Radio Show every day from 10am till midday on 107.9FM, online and via your smart speaker.
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