PE2228 – Protect Scotland’s Volunteer-Run Community Fairs and Gala Days

Community fairs, gala days and similar events are often organised by small committees of volunteers who give their time to bring communities together and continue traditions that have existed for generations.

However, organising these events has become increasingly complex. Licensing requirements, fees, park occupation charges, reinstatement bonds, compliance paperwork and other administrative requirements can create significant financial and practical pressures for volunteer organisers.

These concerns led to the creation of Scottish Parliament Petition PE2228: Protect Scotland’s volunteer-run community fairs and gala days.

The Original Petition

PE2228 calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to:

review the increasing licensing, regulatory and financial burdens placed on volunteer-run community fairs and gala days across Scotland.

The petition highlights concerns including Market Operator’s Licences, Public Entertainment Licences, park occupation charges, reinstatement bonds, compliance documentation, inconsistent interpretation of licensing requirements and the increasing amount of unpaid administrative work falling on volunteers. Petitions - The Scottish Parliament

The petition does not argue against appropriate public-safety measures. Instead, it raises the question of whether the regulatory system is sufficiently proportionate for events organised by volunteers for community benefit rather than commercial profit. Petitions - The Scottish Parliament

From a Local Concern to a National Petition

Although some of the experiences that prompted the petition arose from organising community events in Edinburgh, PE2228 raises a wider national issue.

Volunteer-run fairs and gala days take place throughout Scotland, while licensing legislation operates nationally but is administered by individual local authorities. The petition therefore asks whether the overall framework provides sufficient clarity, consistency and proportionality for community organisations.

The Petition Reaches the Scottish Parliament

PE2228 was published by the Scottish Parliament in 2026 and is now formally under consideration by the Public Petitions Committee. Petitions - The Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Parliament's petitions process allows the Committee to seek evidence from the Scottish Government and other organisations, request further information from a petitioner, refer a petition to another parliamentary committee, recommend action or seek a parliamentary debate. Petitions - The Scottish Parliament

The video above shows PE2228 being considered by the Public Petitions Committee on 24 September 2026.

Why This Matters

Behind many community fairs and gala days are relatively small groups of people giving up evenings, weekends and considerable amounts of their own time.

Licensing and safety requirements serve important purposes. The question raised by PE2228 is whether those requirements are being applied in a way that is clear and proportionate to volunteer-led, not-for-profit community events.

The aim is to help ensure that longstanding community events remain practical for volunteers to organise and can continue for future generations.

Read the Original Petition

You can read PE2228 in full, see the original background information, view its current status and sign the petition on the Scottish Parliament website: Click here