Is there anybody out there who can give me an opinion on the legal aspects of having a picnic?
If a club, church or similar organisation decided to hold a picnic would it need permission? This would not be an organised event, but just a suggestion that members go out and have a picnic with their family, taking their own food, but all go to the same place to do it. Maybe some families would over-cater and share out some of their food, and maybe some ad hoc teams would form to play some informal games of footie or cricket but there wouldn’t be anything planned at all – just see how many turn up and then see what everyone feels like doing.
We were doing something similar last summer, with three families going to the playing fields in Broadfield with packed lunches and letting the kids play games together, but someone has suggested that there might be potential problems with larger groups.
I wouldn’t want to accidentally fall foul of the laws that were designed to combat illegal raves or anything, but on the other hand I wouldn’t really expect to need a permit for having a day out in the park.  Any thoughts?
Surely the playing fields are a public area. If you all happen to show up at the same time and socialise what law have you broken? As long as you are not selling anything (such as drinks) you shuold be OK. Our police and PCSOs would have to be complete jobsworths to object…
No wonder why lots of folk no longer get involved in community groups – can all get too complicated.
No more complicated than most families I guess. Communities are, I imagine, rather like families in that if you neglect them or ignore them they are going to care about you less and less… Maybe we all need to keep in touch with our communities (and families, even if it is mostly commenting on your brother’s blog….)