Let’s Create Jubilee Fund awards £140,000 to Kent organisations

Kent Community Foundation has awarded twenty-four grants totalling £140,000 to voluntary and community organisations across Kent and Medway from the Arts Council England’s Let’s Create Jubilee Fund.

Kent Community Foundation has today announced the twenty-four successful projects that have received a share of £140,000 from the Arts Council Let’s Create Jubilee Fund. These exciting creative events will allow thousands of people to come together in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. From a festival at Rochester Castle, street parties, and family fun days, to creating songs, videos, and a stitched mural, there will be a huge range of exciting activities for people of all ages and backgrounds across Kent and Medway to get involved in.

Medway African Caribbean Association has received £10,000 to run a series of workshops where participants will learn about the Queens contribution to the Commonwealth and create costumes, flags, and banners. These sessions will culminate in a ceremonial procession, ending at the Chatham Historic Dockyard where the participants will take part in a Commonwealth-themed garden party which will have entertainment that represents different cultures.

Tonbridge Baptist Church received £4,200 for an intergenerational project that will work with local children to put on a fashion show depicting trends from the last seven decades. During the fashion show memories of the Queen’s accession, from older people who use the local Day Centre, will be read by some of the older children and a local entertainer will write a song for the children to learn and sign as part of the performance.

Natalie Smith, Director of Grants and Impact, Kent Community Foundation, said, “There was a huge appetite from community groups and grassroots charities across Kent to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee with community arts projects. We were overwhelmed with the number of applications we received and are delighted to have been able to fund twenty-four exciting creative events, which will enable thousands of people to come together to celebrate this historic event.”

Darren Henley, Chief Executive at Arts Council England said “The Let’s Create Jubilee Fund is a wonderful example of our ambition to give everyone the opportunity to participate in and experience the arts, culture, and creativity – made possible thanks to National Lottery players. I’m excited to see these projects brought to life in villages, towns, and cities across the country as our wonderfully creative communities celebrate The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.”

The funding distributed across Kent and Medway will support projects from, Broadstairs town team, Commonwork trust in Sevenoaks, Creative Lives in Dover, Deal Music and Arts Limited, East Kent Mencap in Thanet, Ellenor in Gravesham, Expression Arts CIC, Horsebridge Arts and Community Centre in Canterbury, Faversham Music Club, Funder Films CIC in Ashford, Hoo Peninsula Cares, Maidstone Alzheimer’s Society, African Caribbean Society, Net Community Hub and Valley Countryside Partnership in Medway, Mind in Bexley and East Kent, North Kent Independent Advocacy Scheme, Youth NGage and Wellbeing Link in Dartford, Romney Marsh Community Hub, The Memorial Hall Frittenden, Icon Theatre in Swale and Tonbridge Baptist Church.