Picnic in the Park 2024

Boy at picnic in the park

Wednesday 12 June 2024

10am - 2pm

Wardown Park, Luton LU2 7HA

The Early Years �� and will host their annual Picnic in the Park event again this year. This year, the theme is Family Learning is Fun.

This event involves a broad mixture of local childcare groups raising funds for their settings, as well as local authority groups, health and social care services together with the local police and Fire Brigade, who set up free activities for children and provide information and support and hopefully bring some emergency vehicles along for the children to sit in.

Families have great fun taking part in activities at all the stalls. Entertainment is provided by A Children’s Story, Library Story time and learning how to cook easy recipes at the Artisan Cooks stand. There are always plenty of opportunities for face painting, henna tattoos and home learning activities.

The event attracts over 500 families who come along for information, fun and a great day out.

Guidance notes

The following information has been provided by the event organisers to help you with your stall planning, give you key event information, and suggestions for activities in line with our theme and fundraising ideas. Please read through prior to completing your application and risk assessment form.

What you need to do:

Plan your stall and decide what to provide on it, childcare and education providers can raise money for their setting using responsible fundraising ideas (see below for ideas), but we ask that a free of charge activity is provided in line with the theme (see below for fundraising ideas).
Decide on what you will be doing on your stall and the equipment you will need to bring. Please ensure you let us know on the booking form how much space you will need for your stall area, for example will you be bringing a gazebo? Will you need additional space for a physical activity?
Think about stall layout. You will have a large amount of parents and young families attending the event who will be interested in services available to them. Don’t make your table a barrier. Stand or walk around in front of your information to engage with the people attending.
Do you need any car parking permits? As a stall holder you can be allocated a max of 5 car parking permits free of charge, please ensure you request how many you require on your booking form. Permits are for cars to park in the event car park in Popes Meadow. They do not give vehicles access to the event site. Vehicles with equipment to unpack on site are required to access the park via New Bedford Road from 7.45 am to 8.45 am only.
Plan with your team how you will organise a prompt arrival to set up your stall in line with the event times. Please read the stall holder information below, which advises key event times and how to get access.
As part of the booking form, you will need to identify all the risks associated with your stall, activity and equipment you are bringing.

All booking forms are required to be returned no later than Tuesday 30 April 2024. This is a popular event and the number of stalls is limited to 40, and allocated on a first come, first served basis. Don’t delay!
We depend on our stall fee income to help towards paying for essential event services and as the event is self-funding, prompt payment for stalls is helpful and appreciated. The charges are:

£10 for �� member childcare settings
£20 for non-member childcare settings
£25 for partners/local authority teams, health and social care, and local organisations.

The area around your stall is your responsibility, please help us to protect the park for future use and bring rubbish bags for your stall and to clear the ground around you. We ask that you take your rubbish with you and keep your area as clean as it was when you arrived.
To remain compliant with Food Safety Standards, stalls are not permitted to sell food as part of their fundraising activities. As part of the Food First Scheme, a demonstration van will be attending the event. They will be providing tips and advice on food preparation. They will not be serving refreshments. Please note, the event organisers are not responsible for, or have any influence over what food is served at the kiosk at Wardown Park.

Booking and risk assessment forms

Booking form

All stall holders must complete an online booking form by Friday 10 May 2024.

Please give a brief description of your stall and any activity you are providing, including all equipment you are bringing to help us allocate the appropriate space for your stall.

Once you have completed your form, please make payment by BACS:

Account name: Early Years ��

Account no: 28019873

Sort code 60-12-14

Risk assessment form

You will also need to carry out a full risk assessment of your stall, even if you are not providing an activity. This must be completed along with your booking form and can be accessed here.

Please email your completed risk assessment to flyingstart@eyalliance.org.uk.

Guidance on completing the risk assessment can be found here.

Promoting the event

To help promote your presence at the event, we have produced a promotional toolkit which includes printable posters, website banners and social media materials for you to share with families.

Even if you are unable to join us this year, we would appreciate you printing out the event poster and displaying this in your setting and including details of the event in newsletters to parents. Please use the hashtag #LutonPitP2024 and tag us @eyalliance and @FSLuton on social media. We are a self-publicising event and your help with sharing it in any way is very appreciated.

Event information: FAQs

Please ensure that you have read the following information and shared it with all team members attending the event.

How do I get on site to unload my stall equipment?

We have 2 separate entrance and exit points for vehicles requiring access to the site to unload equipment prior to the event. For event set up please go to the park entrance in New Bedford Road. To allow us to avoid traffic congestion at this entry point and improve the access to the site we will only be able to offer access to vehicles with equipment to unload at this entrance. Please ensure those members of staff who are not carrying any equipment have car parking permits and advise them they will need to go straight to the event car park in Popes Meadow in Old Bedford Road to park.

What time can we arrive on site to set up our stall?

Arrival time to set up stalls is from 7.45am. Vehicle access to the event site via New Bedford Road will only be provided until 8.45am to allow sufficient time to clear the event area of vehicles by 9am. If you arrive after this time you will need to park in the event car park in Popes Meadow, Old Bedford Road. Stall equipment will need to be carried across to the park, please ask if you require help to do this. We also appreciate stall holders may have school runs to complete and ask that you plan to have at least one member of your stall team arriving with any equipment before 8.45am.

Where do stall holders park once they have unloaded?

Once equipment has been unloaded, you will be expected to remove your vehicle via the event set up exit on Old Bedford Road and park in Popes Meadow using car park permit.

What happens at the end of the event?

The event closes at 2pm, no vehicles will be allowed back onto the site to reload equipment until after this time. We will advise when you can drive back onto site to pack up your stalls using the PA system. You will need to collect vehicles from Popes Meadow, turn right and then use park entrance on Old Bedford Road (the event set up exit from the morning) to access onto the event site to load equipment, and then exit via New Bedford Road ONLY (the event set up entrance from the morning). Please be aware that members of the public will be walking on the event site so drive very carefully and listen to directions from the organisation team. The speed limit on the event site is 5mph.

What equipment do you offer to stall holders for the day?

We can supply a space for your stall which you will be directed to by the organisers on arrival. You will need to provide your own tables, chairs, and a gazebo to protect from the weather (hopefully the sun and not anything else!) Please ensure you advise us on your booking form of the equipment you intend to bring to help us allocate a suitable space for your stall.

What do we do with any rubbish?

Please bring your own black bin liners as your own litter is your responsibility and will need to be removed from site by you. We can be charged for having too much rubbish left in park. Please try to keep the area around your stall litter free before, during and after the event.

What information should we provide about our stall?

Please clearly display warning signs regarding skin allergies if you are providing face painting.

What information should we share with families who are attending?

Please ensure parents are aware they are responsible for their own children on site.
Wristbands for children are handed out at the event and are available from the �� marquee.
Please inform parents that parking restrictions will be in place on the day, and that the event car park is in Popes Meadow, Old Bedford Road, at a cost of £2 per vehicle. Traffic Wardens will regularly check the area and will issue fines for inappropriate parking. No parking will be permitted in Wardown Park.
Please ask parents not to litter in the park and to show children how to responsibly dispose of rubbish. There will be rubbish bags provided around the event.

And finally, a few reminders from the organising team:

Please brief all your team attending this year about the event arrangements so they know what to expect on the day, and are aware of the timings for the event.
Emergency access and exit for the event is via the Old Bedford Road entrance/ exit for the park — this route will need to clear and unobstructed at all times during the event.

If you have any further queries, please contact flyingstart@eyalliance.org.uk or call 07918 055736.

Activity ideas for your stall

Selling small pots of playdough to raise some money, with a playdough recipe attached so that families could then make it at home, for £1 a pot.
Selling an adventure pack, where stall holders could print a checklist of things to find whilst out and about - maybe on a walk through the woods with a pen or pencil to do the ticking as they go. Possibly include a small magnifying glass - the cost could reflect what has been spent.
Face painting is always a favourite and attracts customers.
Soft toy tombola
Themed colouring packs with some crayons/pens and pictures. Could be a whole range of things including animals/bugs/farming/nature, and perhaps include some interesting facts within the pack.
Book stall
Guess the name of a soft toy
Guess how many items in a jar – not sweets or food please!

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