Mansfield set for a big Purple Flag Party

A treasure hunt, street performers, a colliery band and an evening market will help Mansfield celebrate its Purple Flag status.
Community event.Community event.
Community event.

On Saturday 25 April 2015 the town will be transformed with music, lights and entertainment. The town library is playing host to a health and beauty show featuring products and services from high street retailers including Boots, Harmony Health, Debenhams, Dorothy Perkins and Marks & Spencer.

The Museum will have two exhibitions by Jonny Wright and On Stage at The Palace Theatre is The Addams Family Musical.Those involved in staging the event say that people who don’t know Mansfield town centre – including ones that live and work in the area – have an outdated view of what it is like and what it has to offer.

And, they say, the party will help show what a great place Mansfield is for a night out by using venues and bringing activities together on one night that are available in the town throughout the year.

The Purple Flag party is a celebration of Mansfield being awarded Purple Flag status. After years of hard work and partnership collaboration an application was made to the Association of Town and City Management (ATCM) for Mansfield to be considered for the award.

Two weekend visits were made by assessors to Mansfield and paperwork providing evidence of achievements in the town was submitted. As a result Purple Flag status was granted to Mansfield in November 2014.

Celebration of the prestigious standard, which is granted to towns that offer an entertaining, varied, safe and enjoyable night out, is expected to attract lots of attention and provide visitors with a bumper package of entertainments, most free of charge.

Mansfield Business Improvement District (BID) Manager Sarah Nelson who led on the work said: “The town is starting to shake off its reputation as a place to avoid in the evenings and the Purple Flag party will add to this, showing just how much Mansfield has to offer.

“Visitor numbers are increasing as more people realise there is a wide range of activities to enjoy in a safe and friendly environment. Purple Flag status underlines this.“We hope to see lots of people enjoying the party – everyone is invited and we encourage them to come along and tell their friends too.”

Work to gain the Purple Flag award was led by a team set up in 2013 and involving representatives from Mansfield Association of Licensed Venues (MALV), Mansfield BID, Mansfield District Council, Mansfield Partnership Against Crime (MPAC) and the police. Many other organisations which contribute to the town centre experience have also played a role in the work.

Mansfield is now entitled to fly the Purple Flag for two years, subject to a successful “light touch” assessment after 12 months.

Full details of the Purple Flag party, including a timetable of events, are on the Mansfield Town Centre website www.mansfieldtowncentre.co.uk and details/updates will also be posted on twitter feeds including @Mansfield_BID, @MDC_news and @yourMPAC.