Cowgate Bonfire Night 2015

The biggest night in the calendar of the community centre where I work went off surprisingly easily- thanks to the excellent event management company we hired. I was told that previous years had attracted around 3,500 people, we counted 4,700 people onto the site and a conservative estimate of the people who watched in large groups from nearby was at least another 500. It should be noted that only 2,500 people live on the estate.

The last two weeks have been quite tortuous as things I'd been promised since May evaporated. Some of the grant aid was refused- but reinstated on the day of the event! I had become so worried that I began to reduced the programme to what I was confident could be done well. In the event I was walking all over the site passing information etc all through the event and had to wait to the end to lock up. My boss had asked how I was going to capitalise on so many people coming to the centre so we could pass information to them about the programmes etc but the more I thought about it, all I could see was a sea of litter and they certainly weren't in the mood for listening to speeches.

Having seen how the space worked for the bonfire night, I am excited about an outdoor music gig next year if we can get the right Headline performer we could earn a tidy sum to subsidise programming. My biggest fear is the North East Weather! I'm also in chats with people about having a camp under canvass there next summer. Scouts and T.A. are interested in helping. If the weather gets bad during the camp we will have access to the hall where the YMCA is based...

Next year's event will be better! I have a preliminary meeting with tenant organisations on 1st December and we will start planning in earnest in early March.

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