If you’ve lived in Didcot for a while you’re probably familiar with the Didcot Hospital fete which takes place in the grounds every August Bank Holiday Monday.
Debbie Moore, the Chairman of Didcot Hospital League of Friends, contacted me recently as the group who organise the fete are in need of new volunteers.
History of the fete
Did you know that the first Didcot Hospital fete was held on August Bank Holiday 1934? This was held to help raise funds to finance the building of the hospital and equip it. When the NHS took over the running of the hospital in 1948, the fete continued to raise money. Over the years the League of Friends have raised many thousands of pounds which has benefited patients, staff and visitors to the hospital; such as TV’s, radios, new beds, diagnostic equipment, occupational therapy kitchen, a new garden for patients and visitors and much more. In 2019 Didcot Hospital fete raised £1640!
We need your help!
The League is now in need of your help to keep the fete going for another 85 years. The committee has been sadly depleted over the last two years and we need some new blood.
We meet about six times a year and would love to hear from anyone who would like to get involved.
Even if you are unable to get involved on a regular basis it would be great if you could volunteer at the fete.
The wonderful Didcot Air Cadets help set up the stalls for us before the day, and we have some splendid volunteers who help run the stalls, but we always need more volunteers. Especially, help is needed in the morning before the fete opens, setting the stalls up and lots of fetching and carrying. If you can give a few hours of your time we can keep the fete going.
We also run stalls at the May Fair, Town Fair and Street Fair and would like to do more.
Can you help?
If you would like to be part of the committee, or could help with the fete in any way please contact Debbie on 01235 211354. Thank you!
Please note: this post was written before the potential impact of Covid-19 became clear. Hopefully we’ll return to a sense of normality before August Bank Holiday but even if events are still affected do get in touch with Debbie if you are able to help!
Hi Debbie, what a great result for fete, 2019 the DDHA will be pleased to accept your kind offer of a stall for 2020 August bh. I have to say thats if, we are clear of corona virus and other pandemics by then, Im sorry but I dont have the energy to erect tents but can come on the day a bit earlier than official start time if you can remind me of this please, to set up. I have a plan of actions from last year which should avoid some of the pit falls like giving you the whole take without adjusting for our costs!! Its ok, not a call for a refund, your welcome and getting slightly stressed out by a colleague insisting on continuing to sell interfering with our ONE, change box after I had counted it 3 times. This time he’ll have his own.
Please contact me by email at: francisjkennedy2@gmail.com
Chairman DDHA.