AN EVENT in Clackmannanshire brought mums, dads, carers and grandparents together to meet the people behind the Forth Valley businesses that cater to families.
The baby and toddler fair at Alloa Town Hall on Sunday, September 1 has been hailed a massive success and hundreds of visitors turned out to see the 25 stalls on the day.
It was organised by local event planner Stacey McNabney who was delighted by how it all went and she hopes to make it an annual occasion going forward.
"It went really well," she said, "It went better than expected and it was a lot better than I could have imagined the first event to be.
"The queues were just all the way around the building, which was amazing."
The mum-of-two was motivated to organise the fair in order to give people the opportunity to come together face-to-face as a community.
They had the chance to network with other parents, local suppliers and to meet those behind the services that are available for children and families in a fun environment.
In a busy society often reliant on social media, she wanted people to get back to basics by chatting, meeting the person behind the business page or finding like-minded parents.
The event gave suppliers the chance to showcase what they can offer and visitors could find out what else is out there that they might be missing out on.
It was well supported in the area and beyond, with three main sponsors Kidz World, Scottish Martial Arts Centre in Tullibody and Water Babies stepping up to help.
Stacey said: “Thanks to all the local businesses that supported us by sponsoring us or donating to the raffle and thanks to people – the mums, dads and grandparents – for coming along and helping to support our local businesses and to support the event.”
The fair also managed to raise £350 which will be given to Homestart Clackmannanshire, which offers support, friendship and practical help for families in the Wee County.
She thanked everyone for their patience during the busy spell of the event and plans to hold it again in March, with a few tweaks to make it even better.
If anyone is interested in having a stall or sponsoring the fair please contact her via 07449951496 or staceymurrie@hotmail.com
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