Mansfield is putting on a free event fit for a king to mark the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III.
The event, hosted by Mansfield District Council in partnership with Nottinghamshire Music Education Hub and Inspire Culture Learning and Libraries, is funded by Music for Youth and Arts Council England.
An afternoon of brass bands, picnics, knitting and family entertainment will be held in Berry Hill Park on Sunday 7 May, from 12noon to 4pm, the day after His Majesty is officially crowned as King at Westminster Abbey in London on Saturday 6 May. Mansfield Museum will be screening the Coronation ceremony live on Saturday for residents and visitors to come down and enjoy free of charge from 10am to 3pm.
Music will be provided by Top Tier Brass, Pleasley Colliery Brass Band, Red Hot Band, Inspired Voices, local musical talent, and a community choir who will perform a song written especially for the Coronation.
It is part of the national Big Lunch events to mark the Coronation so visitors are encouraged to bring a picnic and blanket and have lunch al fresco on the grass. There will be food vendors at the event and the park café will also be open.
As well as Punch and Judy shows, the entertainment will feature a fairground organ, craft activities, including the chance to decorate a royal crown, a family treasure hunt and lots of patriotic flag waving. Free flags will be handed out, while stocks last.
Local needlecraft enthusiasts, the Knit Pickers, will also be there for a knit and natter session with an open invitation for visitors to join in knitting red, white and blue blankets for special care babies.
James Biddlestone, Head of People and Transformation at Mansfield District Council, said: “We are working with the community to make the King’s Coronation celebrations something to be proud of and which will create happy memories of this historic event.
“We are hugely grateful to our partners who have come in with us to put on this event and make it possible. It will be a great family day out so mark it on your calendars now.”
Nottinghamshire Music Education Hub, part of Inspire Culture, Learning and Libraries is a music education partnership funded by Arts Council England, working to develop exciting music-making opportunities for children and young people aged 5 to 18 years in Nottinghamshire.
The Music Education Hub will be showcasing young local musical talent, including the Red-Hot Band, a jazz and funk entertainment band especially for this historic occasion.
Mansfield Community Choir also jumped at the opportunity to perform at the event. Their pianist, Richard Bacon, has even composed a piece of music for them to perform exclusively for the Coronation.
The song makes reference to the late Queen and uses lyrics provided to him by the choir members, starting with the youngest and ending with the oldest, to show a generational view of the Coronation.
In another element of the celebrations, Mansfield District Council has chosen to support Project Linus UK as part of the Big Help Out a national volunteering initiative to mark the Coronation.
The council has donated £100 to Project Linus UK which is a non-profit Community Interest Company run by volunteers who make blankets and quilts to donate to children and babies who may be in need of a hug due to illness, bereavement, being in care or having disabilities.
Members of the Knit Pickers, who meet at Forest Town Arena on Wednesdays from 1pm to 4pm, are supporting Project Linus and the Coronation by making red, white and blue baby blankets to donate.
Diane Leake, the project’s area coordinator for Mansfield, who makes and distributes blankets for the new born babies needing intensive care at King’s Mill Hospital, will use the council’s donation to make up material packs for new volunteers to make and donate their own blankets.
She said: “The donation from the council will be a stepping stone to help our project to become embedded in the area.
“We support the local communities by allowing volunteers to get together, socialise and learn a new skill. The group gives people a sense of purpose, knowing that their quilts and blankets will bring a smile to the faces of babies, children and teenagers up to the age of 19 years.
“Volunteering is a happy and satisfying experience, and I believe this event will highlight our work and give us all that little boost during this historical moment in which we played a part.”
The project is always looking for more benefactors and volunteers. Contact Diane at [email protected] for information.
Find out more about local Coronation celebrations at www.mansfield.gov.uk/coronation (opens in new window).
