ORGANISERS hailed the first community fun day held in Rose Hill for 14 years a major success after hundreds of families and children turned out.

Mums, dads and children on the Oxford estate enjoyed circus skills, bouncy castles, fairground rides and inflatable slides.

There were also pony rides and a chance to feed sheep, goats and lambs — and take part in a football penalty shoot-out.

Yesterday's event took four months to set up and afterwards volunteer organiser Amanda Edwards-Day admitted she had suffered a few sleepless nights.

She said: “There must have been around 1,500 people throughout the day.

“We haven’t had a day like this in Rose Hill since 1995 and people still talk about that day in glowing terms.

“In this day and age people don’t know their neighbours. This was an opportunity to come together and have fun.

“At 8am on Saturday some of the teenagers on the estate who hang around because they are bored — and who people are often scared of — came along and helped out.

“They didn’t have to, but they knew we needed an extra pair of hands.

“I hope this shows what we can achieve on this estate.”

There was also a Memory Tent marking the history of life on Rose Hill and a tribute book for Liam Hastings, who was killed aged 13 in a car crash on Oxford’s Eastern Bypass four years ago.

Families also enjoyed perform-ances by the Strawberry Fayre Majorettes and cheerleaders from Rose Hill Primary School.

The fun day was organised by three parents Linda Cummins, 29, Amanda Edwards-Day, 36 and Tracey Forsyth, 34, who now want to make it an annual event.

They hope several hundred pounds has been raised for Rose Hill Primary School.

Mother-of-four Simone Proffitt, 30, said: “It’s fabulous and great to support the school and parents who have organised it.

“Rose Hill doesn’t get anything compared to other estates and look how many people turned out on Saturday.”

Nigel Collington, 36, visited with his three children Tanya, eight, Josh, six, and Thomas, five, and his partner Sue Millard, 35.

He said: “It’s good to see the community out together. It’s good to be able to get the kids out of the house.

“This should be a regular thing.”

Rose Hill Primary School pupil Chloe James, 10, said: “I’ve stroked some animals, had something to eat and had lots of fun.

“Normally I would be at home or playing with friends.

“I loved the fairground rides — and I’d love to come back next year.”

mwilkinson@oxfordmail.co.uk