Hemlington’s Family Fun Day moved to a new setting in August 2024, spreading four hours of free activity around Viewley Hill Shopping Centre, Hemlington Library Hub and the Habinteg Centre.
The event ran from 10am until 2pm on Saturday, 10 August. Organisers chose the location partly to bring families close to local shops and services while giving the programme more than one indoor and outdoor space.
A full morning without an entry price
Children could try an inflatable bungee run, football dribble-and-shoot challenge, bouncy castle and giant submarine. Circus-skills workshops, a giant-bubble performer and face painting added activities that did not depend on age or sporting confidence.
Donkey rides were scheduled on the grass between 11am and 1pm. Stalls, the Happy Sapid Café and an ice-cream van gave the rest of the family places to browse, eat and pause between activities.
Every organised activity was free. That made the day particularly useful during the school holidays, when the cost of several children joining rides or workshops can quickly turn a local event into an expensive outing.
Volunteer effort behind the programme
Hemlington Community Council volunteers organised the day with financial support from housing group Thirteen. Community council chair Michael Heslehurst said the new venue was intended to support nearby businesses as well as bring children and families together.
Moving an established event always carries a risk that people will head to the old site or feel uncertain about the layout. By using the shopping centre, library and Habinteg Centre together, the organisers created a visible cluster around places residents already knew.
The programme did not rely on a single headline attraction. Its strength was variety: energetic play, quieter skills, food, stalls and rides within a compact area, so families could shape the visit around different ages.
For Hemlington, the fun day was a practical expression of community . Volunteers, a funder, public buildings and local traders each supplied part of an event that families could attend without booking or budgeting for tickets.
Archive : Date, location, programme and organisers were checked against The Tees article originally published on 8 August 2024. The original date and featured image are preserved.