PADGATE & Woolston Walking Day has been saved thanks to people power following an online poll and a public appeal for volunteers.
Earlier in the week, church leaders had announced, that the event due to take place on Saturday, June 22, was being cancelled due to a lack of volunteers and safeguarding issues.
But now local Cllr. Sue Emery, who has helped co-ordinate a campaign to save the event has confirmed the event will go ahead. She said: “I will be in touch with all the people who have offered to marshall the event within the next week. The route and meeting place may vary slightly.
“Invitations will go out to all schools in the area and the churches have confirmed so have St Oswalds and Oakwood.”
She added: “The community response has been fantastic and I am extremely proud to represent this area. The community spirit has been fantastic.”
The online poll, which attracted nearly 2,500 votes was started by Nathan Hepper, aged 39, a supervisor at the Dog and Partridge pub.
A delighted Nathan said: “We did it! Thank you to everyone who voted and councillor Susan Emery, two schools have confirmed and invitations for the other schools will be going out in the next couple of days. It just goes to show if you make enough noise people have no choice but to listen and thank you to the local press for helping spread the word and help keep the long-standing community tradition going.”
Local residents took to social media outraged that the event had been cancelled following a meeting of local church and school leaders due to “a lack of volunteers and safeguarding issues”.
Local Cllr. Sue Emery has been working with concerned residents to try and get organisers to have a change of heart and carry on with the event.
Online poll launched in bid to save Padgate & Woolston Walking Day
