Golf buggy hire for fairs and fetes

What matters for fairs and fetes

• 1

  The set-up morning is where it earns its place

  The hardest part of a fete is not the afternoon, it is the morning. Gazebos, trestle tables, boxes of stock and books and cakes, the PA, the bunting, the tombola prizes, all of it has to come from cars parked at the edge and be carried to stalls spread across a field or a school grounds. That is a lot of trips for a handful of volunteers, and it is where a buggy with a load bed does an afternoon's worth of carrying in an hour. The same is true in reverse once the fete is over, when everyone is tired and the field has to be cleared. A buggy for the set-up and the strike takes the heavy lifting off the volunteers at both ends, which is often the difference between a committee that runs the fete again next year and one that is too worn out to.

• 2

  Keep it proportionate

  A fete does not usually need a buggy running all afternoon. Once the stalls are up, the movement drops off, and paying for a vehicle to sit idle through the day is money a fundraising event should not spend. The exception is a genuinely large site, a big country fete on an estate, or a fair where less mobile visitors need moving between a distant car park and the event. In those cases a passenger buggy for the day makes sense; for a standard village fete it usually does not. Tell us the size of the site and the shape of the day and we will tell you plainly whether you need the buggy for the morning only or for longer. A shorter hire costs less, and for a community event that matters.

• 3

  The ground and the school field

  Fetes happen on village greens, recreation grounds, school fields and estate parkland, which are all grass, so the ground is the main variable. A summer fete on a dry, established sports field is straightforward. A wet spell beforehand changes things, and a school field in particular can be soft if it has seen a lot of use, so tell us the state of the grass. A buggy treads far more gently than the cars people will inevitably drive onto the field anyway, but soft ground is soft ground, and we will be honest about it. Access to the field is worth a thought too. A recreation ground with a single narrow gate, or a school with a locked side entrance, decides how we deliver and where the buggy starts. Mention any awkward access when you enquire so the delivery is planned rather than a surprise on the morning.

• 4

  Volunteers, keys and safety

  A fete is run by volunteers, not trained event crew, so keep the buggy arrangements simple and clear. Nominate one or two people to drive it, brief them at delivery, keep the keys with a named person rather than left in the ignition for anyone, and keep the vehicle to walking pace around a crowd that includes running children. A fete crowd is relaxed and not watching for a vehicle, so a slow, careful buggy on a sensible route is the rule. None of it is complicated, it just wants deciding in advance rather than on the day.

• Blenheim PalaceOxfordshireBuggy hire at this venue
• GoodwoodWest SussexBuggy hire at this venue
• Stonor ParkOxfordshireBuggy hire at this venue

See all venues we cover

Common questions

Do we need a buggy for the whole day of our fete?

Usually not. The heavy work is the morning set-up and the end-of-day take-down, so a buggy for those is often all a fete needs. Paying for it to sit idle through the afternoon rarely makes sense for a fundraising event. Tell us the site size and we will advise honestly.

Is it affordable for a small community event?

We size the hire to the event rather than selling a fleet a fete does not need, and a short set-up and strike hire costs less than a full day. Tell us your budget and the shape of the day and we will tell you plainly what is proportionate.

Can it go on a school field?

Yes, and it treads more gently than the cars that end up on the field anyway. A well-used school field can be soft after rain, so tell us the state of the grass and any awkward access, like a single narrow gate, and we will plan the delivery around it.

Who drives it at a fete?

One or two nominated volunteers, briefed at delivery, with the keys kept by a named person rather than left in the ignition. Keep it to walking pace around a crowd with children in it. It is simple to run; it just wants deciding in advance rather than sorted out on the morning.