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How to plan a platinum party

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is a royal reason for coming together to celebrate community this June. We find out how easy it is to throw your own get together.

Fancy getting together with your neighbours to mark the occasion and have some fun? Well, we think that’s a great idea! 

Even better, we’ve taken some advice from the Big Lunch campaign on how to make it happen. Every June, the Big Lunch campaign encourages people to stop what they’re doing and meet with neighbours in a nationwide act of community and friendship.

And this year the extended bank holiday weekend in June provides more opportunity than ever to get involved.

The idea is that by starting simple, all sorts of friendships, ideas and projects can come out of such events. They get people talking and often lead to people doing more within their community and tackling the issues that matter to them most.

Don’t be put off by the idea of organising. It doesn’t need to be overly complicated, or require lots of resources or money. It can be as big or as small as you like. Keep it really simple if you want  to and just suggest people join you on your doorstep with their own snack or drink!

To get you going, here are some top tips for organising a great get together:

  1. Pick a place

    Your Jubilee party can take place anywhere: in your street, a garden, a park, allotment, church or community centre. Just make sure you get the relevant permission from the owner.

  1. Pick a date

The Platinum Jubilee weekend stretches from 2-5 June but if that doesn’t work for you and your community, why not make some fun on a different day? The Big Lunch is marking a whole month of community in June and is encouraging people to find any excuse to get together!

  1. Find out who wants to come

Big bash or small gathering, it’s entirely up to you. Try to personally invite people. By doing this, you’ll likely find people who want to get involved with the organising too. If you want to spread the word further, send invitations or make a private Facebook event for your neighbours or family, that way you can keep track of numbers.

  1. Plan the food

You could either ask everyone to bring something to share or just keep it simple and safe and tell everyone to bring their own lunch. Set a time for lunch so that everyone comes out at the right moment.

  1. Decorate

Decorate your house, front door or table, depending on where you’re having your party. Try making bunting out of scraps of old material or the contents of your recycling box. You could ask others to make a section and then join them all together. On the day, give the kids some chalk to decorate the pavement.

  1. Raise some money for charity

Why not use the opportunity to raise awareness or funds for a cause close to your heart or that of your neighbourhood? Whether that’s to support a local community group or a bigger, national charity, simply leaving out a collection box or some leaflets can do wonders.

  1. Have fun!

Give some thought in advance to making sure entertainment, games and activities are suitable and safe for all. If you have any keen gardeners in the group, you could even do a veg or plant swap. Don’t forget to kick back and enjoy. Top tip! - Look up The Big Lunch online for poster and invitation templates, as well as instructions for DIY decorations and great street party games ideas.

Grants up for grabs

If you’re organising a street party or community event to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee let us know. We're offering a grant of up to £500 towards making it a great event for you and your community. The 24 most inspiring and well organised applications will receive the grant. Visit karbonhomes.co.uk/jubilee-party-funding for how to apply.

Karbon Comment

A Jubilee celebration can really bring the community together and you might find out about some local groups you’d like to join. We offer grants and funding to various community groups, to find out what support is available email: mycommunity@karbonhomes.co.uk

Paul Moralee, Community Investments Manager

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