On August 2, we were delighted to once again be a part of Chichester’s Emergency Services, Armed Forces and Community Day at Oaklands Park.
The family event, organised by Chichester Fire Station Manager Anton Mezzone, brought together thousands of visitors to celebrate the incredible work of emergency services, armed forces personnel, charities, and organisations within the local community. The aim was to showcase the vital work carried out by local services and provide an opportunity for the community to learn more about the people who work tirelessly to support them.
The park was filled with fun activities throughout the hot, sunny day. The emergency service teams had plenty of vehicles on display, and visitors enjoyed live demonstrations, including a road traffic collision rescue, a chip pan fire, a house fire, search and rescue dogs, and military displays. There was also a marching band parade, live entertainment, fairground rides and a special appearance by the team from Air Ambulance Charity Kent, Surrey, and Sussex (KSS), who landed one of their helicopters in Oaklands Park.
We enjoyed being part of such a busy and welcoming day. Our Samaritans stall was just one of many to greet attendees, and we loved standing alongside other charities, community groups and local businesses. Events like these are the perfect opportunity to let the public know we are here for them, and we had plenty of friendly and valuable conversations with everyone who stopped by our stall. We shared information about our listening service, discussed how Samaritans can support someone who is struggling, and reminded people that there is always someone ready to listen.
We were also fortunate enough to appear in a local television news report about the event. Below you can watch a snippet of BBC South Today’s report, which was broadcast on BBC One.
A huge thank you to the organisers, volunteers, and everyone involved in making the day such a success. It was wonderful to see so many organisations coming together to celebrate the people and services that help others every day.