Bo'ness Fair Day committee believes lotto could safeguard event's future

Fair Day costs £80,000 each year, with the stage alone costing £20,000, bands priced at £18,000 and a myriad of other bills – from entertainment in the afternoon to supplying food bags for kids.

In a bid to cut their cloth, the committee has dispensed of the Kirkin’ of the Queen and Fair Day dinner this year.

Chairman Frank McGarry said: “We’ve been looking at ways to reduce our expenditure so the Kirkin’ and the dinner won’t be staged.

“By the time the dinner is held, the kids are knackered and just want to go home – as does everyone else.

“It’ll save us a couple of thousand, simply by calling it a day after Douglas Park.”

Thanks to new blood, a host of new fundraising initiatives have also been launched.

Since last July, the committee has been able to raise £27,279.60 – £5425 of which has been raised by the Fair’s own lottery. However, there’s still a way to go yet.

On April 21, the Fair’s fundraising week will see envelopes posted through the doors of every home.

Last year, the door-to-door collection – which is staffed by committee members and volunteers – saw a record £16,000 being raised.

Frank said: “It was an incredible amount to raise and we can’t thank everyone enough for their support.

“Envelopes will be getting posted through doors, starting on April 21 and will be collected up until April 27.

“We understand that it’s financially hard just now so we don’t take a penny of what’s raised for granted.

“Folk always rally to help us though as Fair Day is so important to so many people.”

One new initiative introduced two years ago has quickly taken off – the Fair's own lottery, which started with just 25 people and has now grown to 500.

Frank believes it could ensure the event’s future.

He explained: “The lottery currently raises £12,500 every year. Players pay £1 per week, paid monthly.

“There are 28,000 people in Bo’ness; if we could get 2000 playing the lottery weekly that would bring in £50,000 a year and the future of the Fair would be safe.

“We always manage to get there but if we could raise more from the lottery, it would take the pressure off.”

The committee is busy preparing for its latest event – a screening of Back to the Future at the Hippodrome on Tuesday, April 9, at 7pm.

Tickets, priced £10.95 or £18.20 with popcorn and cocktail/mocktail, are available now at https://TIKT.LINK/BFDBTTF.

The committee would also like to thank Tesco and its customers for boosting the coffers by £1500, via the supermarket’s blue tokens.

This Saturday the sold out Fair Dinner Dance is being held and Richmond Park will be staging a Barbara Bryceland concert, with all proceeds to the Fair, on March 30.

Frank added: “We’re indebted to all the town’s businesses who also support the Fair – be that via customers, by hosting events where we don’t have to lift a finger, sponsorship or taking out an advert in our programme. Every penny really does help and we’re very grateful for it.”