Blairgowrie and Rattray community groups praise Town Event

A free showcase event highlighting volunteer-led activities in Blairgowrie and Rattray recently has been praised by the groups taking part as well as members of the public.

The event, which was held on Saturday, June 27, in Blairgowrie Town Hall, was organised by Blairgowrie and Rattray Development Trust (BRDT) and offered community groups, event organisers and associations in the east Perthshire town an opportunity to showcase the work they are doing.

Nearly 40 community organisations took part in the event, sharing updates on everything from Girlguiding, the community council, and amateur dramatics to environmental and climate action initiatives and sporting and outdoor activities in the area.

BRDT operations officer Lesley McDonald was delighted with the success of the event and thanked everyone who came along. She said: “This was the fourth time that we have held the Town Event and it was another great afternoon.

“There was a good turnout from local community groups and organisations and we have received lots of positive feedback from people who were there.

“We’d like to thank everyone who came along, it was great to see so many local groups and residents chatting to each other and finding out more about what’s going on in our town and the great work volunteers in the community are doing.

“We’d also like to thank the Town Hall for the venue, and to the Blairgowrie fundraising branch of Mary’s Meals for providing wonderful tray bakes and refreshments throughout the afternoon.

“We’re so fortunate in Blairgowrie and Rattray that there’s such a wide variety of local groups and organisations with something to suit all interests, so anyone new to the area or who wants to get to know people or who has a bit of spare time, can get involved in and help make a positive difference locally.

“As one local resident commented, no one can say there’s not enough to do in Blairgowrie and Rattray!”

Jennifer Sommerville was at the event with Blairgowrie and District Rotary. She said: “There was a great buzz at this year’s Town Event - definitely the best yet!

“It was fantastic to network with other community groups, share experiences, make new friends and meet potential new members – it was really worth going, and a great afternoon all round.”

Stuart Nichol from Blairgowrie Men’s Probus Club was also at the event. He commented: “This was the first time that Blairgowrie Men’s Probus Club has attended the Town Event and it was a very successful afternoon.

“It gave us an opportunity to network with a great many other groups in the town and to raise awareness of what we do, and hopefully those who came along to the event went away inspired to get involved in something.”

A spokesperson from the Blairgowrie Players added: “The Town Event was once again a great day, it was really busy with lots of groups and a good turnout from members of the public as well. It is a great resource for the town and BRDT is to be congratulated on organising it!”

To find out more about the community groups and organisations in Blairgowrie and Rattray, what they offer and how you can get involved, see discoverblairgowrie.co.uk