 The first Park Vet Group charity summer fair took place this year on Saturday 16th July at Blaby Old Boys Club in Whetstone. After weeks of organising we were hoping for a glorious weekend of sunshine and birdsong, so in typical fashion the day dawned wet and windy. For five hours hardy staff erected gazebos, ferried car loads of books and food, fought off stall cancellations, and struggled with enormous tents in the face of drizzle and damp. By 1.30 we were all set up and ready for the few people who we thought would be brave enough to venture out. The gates opened and…hoards poured in! There was a fantastic turn out, whole families coming out for the afternoon, pushchairs, grannies, plenty of children and dogs everywhere.   As the afternoon progressed the sun finally shone through in fits and starts, the barbeque and cake tents did a roaring trade, the ‘beat the goalie’ game had a sudden change of host after the initial goalie dislocated his finger attempting to save the very first goal, and the dog jumping, police dogs and maypole did a fine job of entertaining visitors. The main dog show event was a huge success, with people entering as many classes as their dogs were eligible for, waggiest tail and most handsome dog being two particularly popular classes. Mark Smith, the judge, was only a little disgruntled about not being allowed to enter his own dog in the ‘dog the judge would most like to take home’ class! Our chosen charity this year was Guide Dogs for the Blind, and as a result of the fantastic support afforded to us by clients, friends of the practice, staff and their families, we were able to raise around £2,500 on the day. An additional £1,500 was raised through company sponsorship and advertising in the events programme, bringing our total to nearly £4,000. This is a huge tribute to the efforts made by all involved, both those who helped to organise the event and also those who attended. So a big thank you to all those who braved the weather and helped make the fair such a success. See you next year! 
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