Supporting Local Organisations

After Covid in 2022 we consulted local organisations that attend and fundraise at the Fair they said “It’s a great community event” and “love it!”.

Hale Primary School said they would have used the fundraising from the missed Covid years “to renovate an outdoor classroom”.  Previous funds they have raised at the Cuckoo Fair have enabled them to purchase ipads, playground equipment and interactive whiteboards.

Funds raised at the Fair, in the past by our local 1st Downton Girl Guides, have paid for extended activities such as transport to wider Guiding UK events and specialist coaches in climbing, sailing etc.  They would have used funds from the missed Covid years to update their camping kit.  They said “The Fair is not only an important fundraising activity but it is something which brings the whole community together.  It gives the village an identifiable activity to work towards for the benefit of all.”

We estimate that since 1980 the Fair has helped raise in excess of £1 million by local organisations, creating a very important source of income for them.  The Fair is run entirely by a team of volunteers and we rely on the income generated from stall holders attending the fair, advertising, contributions from car parking and donations from the significant local fundraisers and village businesses who benefit from the income generated by the Fair to help cover the costs.  Any money raised over and above running costs is offered back into the local community for example; covering the costs of a Christmas tree which is gifted to the village or goes towards running the Fair the following year.

Downton Football Club, who also raise critical core funds at the Fair said “Thank you for the work of the Cuckoo Fayre Team. We know running our own voluntary organisation one rarely gets thanks for the thousands of volunteer hours we all put in!”

 

For more information about the Fair have a look at History, Ten Things you may not know about the Fair, and Who Delivers the Fair.