Coronation grants to help Wandsworth celebrate

Grants for Wandsworth community and resident groups will make sure the King’s Coronation creates a lasting community for local communities.

Wandsworth Council’s £30,000 King and Queen Consort’s Coronation Fund will support inclusive, creative events.

Age UK Wandsworth will use its grant to run a week’s worth of activities for up to 100 isolated older people, including gardening, crafts and special lunches. Residents include those who go to weekly coffee mornings and a Warm Spaces breakfast club.

A spokesperson said: “Clients accessing the day centre really enjoyed our Jubilee festivities last year and we’re thrilled to be able to offer more activities and special treats in the week leading up to the Coronation. Since many of our clients will be unable to take part in the weekend’s public events, the Coronation Grant allows us to give out special picnic bags to take home for over the long weekend, which will make them feel like they’re included in the celebrations and part of their community.”

In Battersea the Cromwell House Hub with the support of Enable will run an event on the Doddington and Rollo Estate, including music and entertainment from Riverside Radio, physical activities, arts and crafts and advice from local support groups. 

In Roehampton, Estate Art will hold a Royal Singalong and tea party for 90 people in assisted living who wouldn’t otherwise be able to celebrate.  Lynne Capociama from Estate Art said: “We’ll have live music, food and art donation banks that will put a smile on residents’ faces. The grant awarded will support with bringing much needed love in the community to individuals that have been impacted by the pandemic.”

And in Putney Positively Putney will have family entertainment and the Big Help Out Putney Volunteer Village to celebrate volunteering and help local charities recruit new volunteers, including the Putney Society, Tidy Towpath, Regenerate and the Samaritans.

CEO Nicola Grant said; “We are delighted to receive a grant from Wandsworth Council to help pay for some of the costs towards our event. We are encouraging the Putney community to welcome in our new monarch by celebrating his ethos of sustainability, volunteering and supporting local business.”

Carey Gardens is holding a Coronation Picnic and live screening on the central green for all the estate’s residents to enjoy, including residents of sheltered housing. A spokesperson said: “We aim to bring our diverse community together for a free enjoyable day on their doorstep.”

In Tooting St Nicholas Church has been supported to hold a Coronation picnic and big screen showing, and there will also be a big screen showing at St Marys and St John the Divine Church, Balham.

Several residents’ associations have received grants. Goulden House Co-operative in Battersea is holding a Coronation Garden Party and secretary Rex Wickham said it meant a great deal to residents to be able to celebrate the Coronation together. “We are delighted and grateful to receive this generous financial grant. This is a historic and joyful occasion for our country and our community and we are excited to join the celebrations and strengthen our bonds of community and friendship with our neighbours.”

Other recipients are

• 5^th Putney Sea Scouts: Coronation Party
• Hestia – Age Well Roehampton: Afternoon party for older residents in Minstead Gardens
• Falcon Estate Residents Association: Coronation Party in the Kambala Club Room
• Fitzhugh Grove Residents Association: Coronation Banquet
• Goulden House Co-operative: Coronation Garden Party
• Hestia Housing and Support: Celebration for service users and residents of Ensham House assisted living
• Nursery Close Sheltered Housing: Long Live the King Coronation celebration
• Putney Vale Residents Association: Fun family Day in Newlands Hall
• Roehampton Library: Event for children to teach them about Royal Family history
• Southfields Triangle Residents Assocation: Street party
• St Mary’s Battersea: Coronation Big Picnic Lunch
• Winchfield House Residents Association: Picnic
• Women of Wandsworth: Royal Tea Party for the Elderly

Kemi Akinola, cabinet member for the voluntary sector, said: “We’re doing all we can to help everyone in our community celebrate the Coronation alongside their neighbours. We’ve waived the cost of street parties, are supporting events around the borough and have awarded grants to ensure residents, especially those who are older and isolated, don’t miss out.”