Reed Bonfire Night

Saturday 2 November 2024

Thank you to everyone who supported Bonfire Night this year and to all the volunteers who made the event possible. In total, nearly £3,000 was raised on the night for local good causes. Of this, because the fireworks were paid for from the Bonfire Night reserve (see below), over £1,900 is available to help with refurbishment of the playground on the Green. The remainder, the proceeds from the barbecue, will be divided between the church and the school. __________________ Reed Parish Council presents a community Bonfire Night event on Saturday 2 November on Reed Green. As well as a firework display and a bonfire, you’ll be able to enjoy drinks from the Cricket Club bar and a barbecue. There is no charge for the event; however donations via a bucket collection will be very welcome. This year, proceeds from the main event will go towards renovating the playground at the side of Reed Green. Proceeds from the barbecue will be divided between Reed Church and Reed School. Please see the Frequently Asked Questions section below. Admission is free - but please give generously to the bucket collections on the night. 6.00 pm Event opens - licensed bar and barbecue available 6.15 pm Bonfire lit 6.45 pm Firework display Timings are approximate and may be altered. Please return to this page often to check for the latest news and any changes to the arrangements. IMPORTANT GENERAL SAFETY • We love fireworks. But please do not bring your own fireworks - even sparklers - to the event. More injuries are caused by sparklers than any other kind of fireworks. Sparklers and crowds do not mix. • Please follow any directions given to you by the marshals on the night. They are there for your safety. PARKING If you’re coming by car, please arrive in good time and park safely and considerately. Please do not block any roads or driveways and always make sure there is space for emergency vehicles in case they are needed. It’s unlikely there will be any safe parking around The Green. It will be easier and quicker to park away from The Green and to walk back. There should be plenty of on-street parking on Reed Joint, which is a short walk from The Green. You may also find space on Driftway, the southern end of Church Lane, or Jackson’s Lane. Many thanks to the Cricket Club and to all the volunteers who have made the event possible. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Where does the money for fireworks come from? The event is financed solely from contributions from collections and private donations. Some years ago a dedicated, ring-fenced fund was set up for the purpose of running a bonfire night firework display, It is now looked after by Reed Parish Council. It was built up over time from private donations and contributions to the bucket collection on the night, explicitly for the purpose of enabling the event to be held another year. No Parish Council money, or money collected through the precept, is spent on the event. Thanks to everyone who has contributed so generously. Why are proceeds from this year’s event not going towards the bonfire fund? The ring-fenced fund is now larger than is necessary to finance the event. For that reason proceeds from the bucket collection this year will go towards renovation of the playground, and those from the barbecue will go towards the church and the school. Why do you not charge for admission? The geography of Reed Green would make it impossible to administer a ticketed event. What is more, with current cost-of- living concerns, we would not want families and children to have to stay away because of affordability. Spending a lot of money on fireworks is inappropriate Fireworks are expensive, but the Reed event has made a profit in recent years - money which this year can be ploughed back into local good causes that will benefit village families and children. Fireworks are disturbing to animals We understand this, and we sympathise with those whose pets are upset. However, there will be fireworks on bonfire night weekend whether or not the Parish Council holds a display, and in fact there may be fewer private fireworks in the village as a result of our holding the public event. Because we fire our display at a predictable, pre-announced time, with a duration of no more than about 20 minutes, we hope upset can be minimised.