Those who know Balerno well will know what a longstanding highpoint Balerno Gala Day is in the community calendar. After two years where covid restrictions meant that the day couldn’t happen, it was a pleasure to enjoy a sunny Saturday afternoon in Malleny Park with hordes of people of all ages gathering to enjoy the day. There was such a buzz around the park as people from the community enjoyed (re)connecting with each other.
A team from St Mungo’s ran the ‘Activity Village’ offering a range of potted sports and challenges including hoopla, splat-the-rat, beat the buzzer, bean bag toss and more. We also hosted a tent for parents / carers with wee ones where they could find a quiet corner to change a nappy or feed a baby. It was a real joy to come together as a church team, to serve and to ‘Be Love’ in such a practical way and it wouldn’t have worked without each person playing their part.
We had people beavering away behind the scenes in the run up to Saturday, putting some of the games together and painting them beautifully.
We had bakers who made delicious goodies to keep us all going as a team.
We had people who loaded, lifted and lugged at the start and end of the day, setting up our space and then clearing it all away again.
We had people who staffed all of the different games and who smiled, welcomed, encouraged and cheered the families on as they tried out the different challenges.
And we even had people who spontaneously joined in and helped even as the day was happening.
A huge thank you to everyone who was involved, and also to the many St Mungo’s people who were helping in other ways at the gala.
One of the recurring messages we got from people was a mixture of surprise, pleasure and gratitude that our stall was so reasonably priced, making it very affordable for families, and with so many different activities to keep the children busy. The mums and little ones who used our hospitality tent were also very appreciative of the quiet space!
I’ve already got the date for next year’s Gala Day in my diary (28 May 2023) and I’m looking forward to doing it all over again! Save the date if you’d like to join me!