The MAY FAYRE - a helpers guide

If you are already fully committed or if you’re thinking of helping out, here’s a little bit about why you are / why you should be doing so.

Closer to the time, this page will be updated with specific dates and times. Contact names and numbers, and other useful information. In the meantime, to get involved

  • If you are from the village, message Matt Grey (Tig) or Marcello on the village chat

  • If you are from the school, message your class rep.

  • Or anyone can e-mail may.fayre@newgatestreet.org.

WHY join in?

Because it’d be rude not to.

The May Fayre has been about for decades - there is a trophy in the Crown for a tug-o-war match from the late 60's. It has helped form our community; it has been instrumental in the foundation of the society and institutions we all enjoy; it has funded our children, paid for school trips, laptops, white boards, books and play equipment; it maintains and subsidises the village hall, it part funded the tennis courts; it provides social events, helps those in need and subsidises salvation.

Its purpose has always been the same:

  • Build community by bringing together the village and surrounding residents, the school and the church for a day of fun, entertainment and shared experience.

  • Raise funds to help, support and better:

    • Ponsbourne St Mary’s Primary School.

    • St Mary’s Ponsbourne Church

    • The Village Hall, and through that institution, villagers.

  • Provide opportunities for local clubs, societies, charities and businesses to raise their profiles and attract new members via stalls and performances.

  • Raise funds to be distributed to local good causes.

Why Raise funds?

Annually, the fair raises many thousands of pounds that are distributed to, and via, three village institutions. This money is vital to the survival of those institutions.

  • Our school is one of a dwindling number of small rural schools in the country. Times are difficult in education, but small schools are penalised by the state’s funding system which pays per head. We don’t have the ‘economy of scale’ that bigger schools have. A white board for a group of 15 pupils costs the same for a whiteboard for a group of 60. Heating, maintenance, other facilities, teachers (… teachers!) all have to do more with less. The Fayre’s funds help pay for vital equipment that other schools take for granted.

  • The quintessential image of a beautiful english countryside village, always includes a church. Timeless, beautiful, iconic, permanent, and in desperate need of funds. As well as serving its parishioners, the church is used weekly by the school children. It hosts coffee mornings and supports villagers in times of need.

  • The hall was bequeathed to the village many years ago. It is there for the village, villagers and school parents to use for group and personal social events. It hosts many a birthday party, school event, village event, and it is also rented out to local clubs and societies. It is managed by a team of volunteers, committed to maintaining it as a locally managed asset. As well as responsibility for the hall and tennis courts, the committee also uses its funds to support village events and villagers in need.

How you can help?

You can help by volunteering. Just step forward and promise to do something, anything, big or small. The more people that don’t, the more the people that do, have to do. If you are from the village, message Matt Grey (Tig) or Marcello on the village WhatsApp chat. If you are from the school, message your class rep.

You can help now, in the preceding weeks, on the Saturday before and on the day.

  • Right now, there is a huge list of things to do. Arranging, organising, booking, selling, buying… Things you can do before breakfast and things that require more time.

  • The field is set up on the Saturday (and Sunday morning). The village hall owns all of the hardware needed, but hardy people are needed to put it all up. Stalls, ropes electrical supplies. If you or your partner are at all handy, please step forward.

  • Set up continues on Sunday morning. The shifting and lugging will have been done but the the stalls will need to be set up, things distributed and everything in place.

  • Stalls are manned in shifts so that everyone can take time to enjoy the event and shows. During school performances, things tend to stop so nobody misses their child’s debut!

    Residents from the village and parents from the school all pitch in.

  • And then it all has to be packed away. It’s surprising how quickly this is achieved with plenty hands. Then there’s small party on the field for all the helpers. The fair brings the food and you BYO drink… It would be a shame to drink all the profits!

Where-the-Fayre?

Below is a plan of the village field from 2019. Yup, that’s parking for about 400 cars; and the pubs are full, there are cars parked up the kerbs and down the side streets. It’s massive.

Example layout from 2019

  • If you are from the village, message Matt Grey (Tig) or Marcello on the village chat

  • If you are from the school, message your class rep.

  • Or anyone can e-mail may.fayre@newgatestreet.org.