Easter family fun day cancelled due to weather and safety concerns

A family fun day being held over the Easter weekend has been cancelled, after organisers raised concerns about the weather and the safety of visitors. The group behind Funtopia[1] has had to cancel four events in the second week of April, including in Sleaford[2]. The event, which is aimed at young children and their families[3], was going to be held in the town's recreation ground on April 10.

In a statement posted to social media on April 5, a spokesperson said: "My main priority at all of our events is the safety of our visitors. "With the water-logged grounds, they will hardly provide any resistance for the pegs on the inflatables, making them unsafe and insecure. As much as I want the event to go ahead (I've been preparing all winter for our summer tour to start), it just wouldn't be safe."

Poll: What's the best seaside resort in Lincs?[4] The event team's lorry and vehicles would also run the risk of getting stuck in the mud and being damaged. It would also be unpleasant for children playing in socks on "wet, muddy grounds".

The spokesperson added that cancelling the spring/summer event due to the weather was most unusual. They wrote: "I can only apologise for cancelling and I do hope you understand that this is not a decision I've taken lightly. But when it comes to the safety of our visitors, it doesn't matter how much I want the event to go ahead, if it isn't safe then it can't open.

In my 20 years of working on events, I have never seen anything like this before. Apparently, it's the wettest March since 1981. We need [between five and seven ]consecutive days to dry out the grounds and at the moment we're not getting anywhere close to that."

Anyone who purchased tickets via EventBrite should receive a refund within seven days, the spokesperson added.

The Funtopia 'tour' will run for the entire summer, and the team hopes to return to the areas that will now miss out.

References

1. ^ Funtopia (www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk)
2. ^ Sleaford (www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk)
3. ^ young children and their families (www.lincolnshirelive.co.uk)
4. ^ What's the best seaside resort in Lincs? (xd.wayin.com)