The inaugural ‘Swede Roll’ event in St. Florence was held over the weekend.

Organisers held the event in aid of raising money for refurbishing the playground which is in desperate need of renovation.

“The playground is in desperate need of an update and we hope to do a complete renovation which will provide a much needed resource within the village and also cater for the needs of disabled children,” explained Kathy Duffield.

The swedes, which were kindly donated by Nolton Farm, were all recycled and were given to Greenacres Animal Rescue.

A total of £1,327 was raised from the event.

Following the prize-giving ceremony, Mark McSweeney, who provided commentary, announced that Comic Relief had donated £10,000 towards playground renovation, a huge boost for the organisers.

This brings the running total to £15,300.

The first swede that was rolled in the ‘10 yrs and under’ category was by event sponsor Neil Finlay’s daughter.

This was followed by a host of keen bowlers and the eventual winner was Raffael Denunzio who won £10 and a chocolate hamper.

The adults competition was fast and furious with swedes taking an erratic course down the hill, veering off unexpectedly and providing great entertainment.

Jason Cole was in the lead until the very last throw of the day by John Brace who pipped him at the post.

The pub challenge trophy was won convincingly by Kyle representing the Sun Inn.

Hope Reilly won the best decorated swede with a glamorous sparkling creation.

None of this would have been possible without the generosity of sponsors: Neil Finlay’s Cars, St Florence Village Stores, Celtic Wines, Upton Farm, Jewsons.

The organisers say there are other events planned for later in the year so watch this space.