No, it's not an April Fool's joke. There will be no Swinton Grove Park Fun Day this year. Why?
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• Fun Day has been running for 17 years and is organised by The Friends of Swinton Grove Park. The Friends group currently consists of 4 local people, all of whom have been members since it began. We have organised all 17 Fun Days, and feel it is time for a change.
• The Fun Day itself needs some fresh enthusiasm and energy and ideas, and new people can bring all those things and more.
• So, instead of organising a Fun Day for 2019 we are encouraging new people to join the Friends group. We can help new members to get up to speed with what is involved in looking after the park and running the Fun Day (it's actually not that difficult).

Want to know more? Email us or make a comment below.

Our annual Fun Day last Saturday was, yet again, dry and sunny. Hundreds of people came to enjoy the music, food, entertainment and stalls. Photos from the day can be viewed here. Some feature our 'Love Parks' week heart selfie board.

Once again, a huge thank-you to all who helped make the day a success, particularly the volunteers: organisers, helpers, stall-holders, and the students who came all the way from the USA! Thanks also to Grove Village, M13 Youth Project, Gaskell's House and the Manchester City Council workers who gave such great support as always.

We're having some amazing weather, and hoping for another dry and sunny day on July 14 and the next Swinton Grove Park Fun Day. The event runs from 12-4, but setting it up starts at 9:30am. This is done by a fairly small group of local volunteers with some help from the Council and some students. It would be great to have some more local people coming doing the morning to help make this Fun Day happen - even just for an hour. Another way to help is by giving out our leaflets and posters (download a leaflet here) in the week leading up to the event. If you'd like to be a part of it, drop us an email.

The funding is in (thanks Manchester City Council), the music, entertainers and stalls are booked, the food is ordered. We're hoping for another sunny day...

The 2018 Swinton Grove Park Fun Day will be on Saturday 14th July, 12-4pm

Once again the Friends of Swinton Grove Park have been working hard behind the scenes getting everything ready. If you can help on the day with marquees, gazebos, tables, chairs etc. send us an email.

Our annual Fun Day on July 8 was (yet again!) a sunny one and drew what may have been record crowds. A great time was had by all: big thanks to our entertainers, stall holders and caterers. Thanks also to the Lord Mayor, local Councillors, Tina, Mavis and Bernard and our MP Lucy for supporting the event. And a special thank you to our volunteers – some local, some students on placement from the USA – without you setting up from 9:30am and taking down until 6pm the day just would not have been possible. See the photos here.

​This is the sort of day that shows what Manchester is all about: all of us getting on together, having a good time. We could still do with more help in the Friends Group who organise it. If you'd like to see another Fun Day next year and would like to be a part of making it happen, click here.

This year's Fun Day is nearly here! It will be on Saturday July 8, 12-4pm, with nearly all of the usual activities and entertainment. We say 'nearly' as there was a slight funding cut this year (but we are still grateful to Manchester City Council and our local Councillors for protecting most of the funding for another year). Big thanks to Grove Village who have been able  to make up part of the shortfall. We will make a small charge for the Face Painting (50p) to try and cover the rest. Any surplus will be donated to the Manchester Arena Fund.

Also this year we will be linking up with 'Have A Field Day', a national initiative run by 38 Degrees to celebrate and help protect local parks. Read more here.

Last Saturday, the day of our 2016 Fun Day, did not start well, with heavy rain all morning. Was our "never rained on" record going back to the first Fun Day in 2003 about to end? We set up anyway, getting drenched and more despondent... and then, at almost exactly 12noon... the rain stopped!! It stayed away until about 3:45pm when there was a light shower. OK, it was a bit wet underfoot, and some slight re-arranging of the programme was necessary, but about 400 people came and had a fab time.
​Lots of photos here.

We have our funding for the next Fun Day, and confirmation from all of the participants, including some volunteers all the way from America who will be helping us set up and clear up. Expect many of your favourite artists and activities from previous years, plus a couple of new surprises. July 9 we hope will be yet another sunny Fun Day Saturday.

Swinton Grove Park Fun Day for 2016 will be on Saturday 9th July from 12noon to 4pm.