Words by Smiley Team
In early June, the UK is celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee to mark her 70 years of service as reigning Monarch.
And people all over the country are using this celebration as a time to bring communities together in the name of charity.
Many of us in the UK will be enjoying a four-day weekend – and here are some of the causes they’ll be supporting during that time.
Age UK Leicester Shire & Rutland have teamed up with the tribute band music festival Glastonbudget and are attempting a world record of ‘Most People Wearing Paper Crowns’ raising money for the charity through the sale of the crowns. The World Record attempt was last broken in Hyderabad India in June 2018 with 2,261 Paper Crowns worn – so they are bidding to smash this target at their own “Glastonbudget festival”
Festival-goers will be able to participate by purchasing their ‘Get Crowned for a £1’ crowns at the Glastonbudget ticket office at Turnpost Farm, Wymeswold, Leicestershire on 3June of the event. The big World Record attempt will then take place on Friday 3rd June at 4.45pm on the Big Stage with the compere leading the proceedings to secure a new Guinness World Record! Find out more and learn how you can support the charity here.
Farren Morgan, a serving solider and fitness coach, is completing 500 burpees a day every day in May in celebration for the Queens Jubilee and for charity. He's doing it to raise money for REORG, which is a charitable organisation focused on supporting military personnel as they transition back into civilian life after frontline duties. "The challenge is to raise awareness and donations for REORG – being a serving Queen's Guard in the Coldstream Guards, it's a huge thank you to her Majesty the Queen with almost 70 years on the throne, in the run up to the Platinum Jubilee celebrations," he says.
You can follow Farren's fundraising journey on Instagram and find out more about the charity.
Dance charity, Dance West, is producing a “tongue-in-cheek” intergenerational event to celebrate the weekend. “A Tea Dance with a Difference will include performances from Black Elvis, professional Flamenco and Ballroom and much more,” they say. “The Mayor of Hammersmith will kick off proceedings and there will be a chance to dance with our team of exceptional teachers.”
The event on 1 June at Sands End Arts and Community Centre will feature pop-up classes, freestyle, live entertainment and performances to inspire your moves. After that, they’ll put on a delicious afternoon tea. Tickets are free for adults 60+, as well as those with disabilities or on Universal Credit. All other tickets are £5 to cover their costs. Find out more about the event or how you can support the charity.
Disability play charity, Cwtch together, will be holding a garden party on Saturday 4 June featuring crown making, hunting jewels in the sand, making purple playdough, sensory area, ball pit, icing biscuits, raffle, food and soft drinks. The two play sessions - held in the morning and afternoon - will need to be booked in advance. It'll be held at 15th Cardiff Scout Hall, Sloper Road, Cardiff. Find out more about the event or how you can support the charity.
Over the Jubilee weekend in Margate, Margate Bookie, the charity and friendly lit fest by the sea, is back. It’s said to be an action-packed Jubilee weekend of authors, unique performances and incredible events. Their line-up includes novelist Maggie Gee, BBC Radio 1 medical expert Dr Radha Modgil, comedian Rosie Wilby, and social media sensation Felicity Hayward. To celebrate, they’re giving away a pair of tickets to any event in their action-packed programme. (Head to the Margate Bookie website to find out more).
The Margate Bookie is a registered charity, set up by Andreas Loizou. They’ve grown from a single afternoon in a disused warehouse to a four-day festival, creative writing courses, zines, workshops and book groups. Find out more about the festival or how you can support the charity.
Age UK in Ealing is organising a community event on 1 June at their base in Greenford Community Centre. They’ll be joined by members of Age UK Ealing's community, including older adults who regularly access their services – some of whom have strong personal memories of the Queen’s coronation – as well as Ealing's newly-elected mayor Cllr. Mohinder Midha and other supporters from across the borough.
During the event, they’ll also be celebrating the work of their volunteers, as it’s National Volunteers Week (1-7 June). One of their volunteers is aged 83 and has been working with them for over 20 years, and another who is 81 is their resident bingo caller. They’ll have entertainment from various Ealing-bases musicians, including joining in the 'Sweet Caroline' singalong. Find out more about the event or how you can support the charity.
