Hartford have had a parade and festival in the village for over 50 years, run by our local NSPCC. Unfortunately it was abandoned in 2011 because of lack of volunteers. I ran the Parish Council Fun Run in September 2021, with a huge amount of community volunteers coming forward. The community said they want the Parade & Festival to be restored as an annual event. I would like to resurrect the event on 5th June 2022. I have a group of community volunteers to help with it. I expect the costs to be low, including road closure costs, possibly insurance and/or first aid cover. I have submitted the application to Cheshire West and Chester Council for the event, and will draw up accurate costings.

What we'll deliver:

• A Jubilee parade through Hartford village
• A Jubilee Festival at a local venue

Why it's a great idea:

A community event to bring the community together. Celebrate the jubilee. Restore a community event which many miss and have fond memories of. Increase community connections and involvement for individuals who can get involved with volunteering, to increase their confidence and self esteem, and build a group for future community events. Involve local schools and children in the parade, creating outfits or school floats, developing skills and confidence. Include local young people in the project to develop skills for their CV or Duke of Edinburgh. Showcase and promote local groups and organisations in the parade, to increase awareness and increase community involvement with them. Raise funds for the local Hartford NSPCC through charity buckets along the parade. Create lots of fun and enjoyment for those attending the festival at the school, raising PTA funds for the school.

Steps to get it done:

• Arranging the festival with the local school
• Arranging to parade route
• Confirming road closures
• Obtaining events license
• Contacting all local and surrounding organisations to invite to the parade and/or festival
• Making a connection with local haulage to share with parade participants
• Confirming the final parade & festival format
• Providing information sheets to all participants
• Promoting the event within the village

We would like this to become an annual event again. We hope this can be repeated on the second weekend in June hereafter, as the original Hartford Parade & Festival was.