STROUD was showcased at its best this weekend when I enjoyed a full couple of days meeting amazing people.

Saturday began with an invitation from Gloucestershire FA to join Rodborough Youth FC and Rodborough SSE Wildcats for their end-of-season awards. There were more than 200 enthusiastic young footballers there and I was honoured to be named a football Grassroots Champion.

From there I went on to join Gloucestershire’s Missing Millions campaign to highlight the need for more awareness, support and research into the devastating condition of ME.

Randwick Wap was in full swing when I arrived in the afternoon, with entertainment, stalls and some fantastic cakes, all against a beautiful backdrop.

The Wap has been transformed into a great community fundraising event, with a really dedicated team of volunteers at its core.

The same dedication and community spirit were in evidence at Stratford Park on Sunday, where the church group Ignition brought together musicians, charities, entertainment and even a climbing wall for the annual free Family Fun Day.

The theme for the day was ‘we are amazing’ and this event itself was evidence of that.

Stroud people and their ability to make great things happen is an amazing thing that I see daily, and especially at this time of year.

It’s the Site Festival and Select Trail this month, and Nailsworth festival starts this weekend. Nibley Festival, Chalfest and Stroud Country Show are all in the pipeline. Do join me to support the events which make our communities richer - I only wish the run of ‘amazingness’ could have continued to Monday and FGR’s football result!