Ref. 24463-56ANOTHER big fund raising event is being held to help pay for the upkeep of the facilities and nature reserves in the Cotswold Water Park.

This year the Cotswold Water Park Society will be staging its Great Lakes Family Day on Sunday, May 9 at Keynes Country Park between 11am and 4pm.

The event will give local communities and rural businesses, sports clubs and environmental organisations the opportunity to get together to celebrate the bank holiday.

There will many activities for all the family together with craft and farmers' market stalls and displays by local environmental groups.

Attractions for children will include face painting, bouncy castles, quad bikes, funfair rides and a magician.

Water sports on the day will include the Adventure Zone, windsurfing, sailing, kayaking and canoeing, and visitors will also have the opportunity to have a go on a jeep safari in the gravel pit adjacent to the park.

The Newfoundland dogs team will also be "rescuing" people from the water and the Silver Stars parachute display team will be making their grand entrance when they jump into the lake.

The popular chainsaw woodcarvers will also be there sculpting more characters and animals to be placed around the park.

All the usual attractions will be open to the public including the adventure playgrounds, the caf, the award winning millennium visitor centre, fossil exhibition, shop, crazy golf, boat and bike hire and the children's beach.

Spokeswoman Caroline Smith said: "Last year the day was a huge success. It was great to see so many people supporting their local park in the glorious sunshine. This year with a mixture of all the old favourites and new added attractions we are hoping to have an even more successful event."

There will be no entry fee to the event but cars will be charged £7 to park.

Season ticket holders, cyclists and pedestrians can all get in free.

Martin Vincent