Crowds have flooded to two special summer events we’ve held in our thriving communities - the Hidden River Festival at Woodberry Down and our One Love pre-carnival party at Bolney Meadow.
Partnership working was at the core of the Hidden River Festival at Woodberry Down on Saturday 13 September, which welcomed more than 3,000 attendees - despite the rain.
The festival was a celebration of culture, creativity, and community. We fund the event alongside Woodberry Down regeneration partners Berkeley Homes, and the London Borough of Hackney. It’s brought to life with support from Manor House Development Trust, Public Voice and Woodberry Down Community Organisation (WDCO) and 10 residents who volunteered on the day.
With two stages, the event hosted local performances including Hackney Orchestra and Hackney Showrooms, 18 market stalls, community workshops, the zen bus and much more. Adrian Essex, chair of WDCO said that the “event was extremely well organised with the script for the day covering all eventualities, the risk assessment being very thorough, and control over all the comings and goings very well prepared.”
A highlight of the day was the launch of the Pavilion, designed and built by 11 young residents with the support of London School of Architecture’s Roy Coupland and Yang Yang Chen. This was unveiled by Mayor of Hackney, Caroline Woodley, who presented awards to all the young residents involved. The mayor spoke passionately about seeing the Pavilion Programme create opportunities for residents through the built environment. This celebration officially kick-starts the Woodberry Down Culture Programme, which will run from the Pavilion for three weeks until Sunday 5 October.
Over in south London, on Thursday 21 August, we hosted One Love at Bolney Meadow Estate, a carnival-inspired summer event designed to bring the spirit of Notting Hill Carnival right to residents’ doorstep.
The event welcomed families of all ages and created a lively, inclusive atmosphere where neighbours could come together and connect.
It was great to see residents who arrived alone quickly engaging with others - highlighting the power of events like this to bring residents together and build a stronger sense of community. That spirit of togetherness was a key goal of One Love, and it was fantastic to see it come to life throughout the day.
Event highlights included live music, with an engaging performance from the Baobab Steelpan Band, a variety of games and activities suitable for all ages, and vibrant carnival-themed decorations that helped create a lively and welcoming atmosphere throughout the estate.
Both these events are a valuable reminder of the strong sense of community and the importance of creating opportunities for residents to connect.
