A family summer spectacular will be staged next month to showcase and celebrate the best of one of North Yorkshire’s coastal towns.
The Eastfield Festival of Summer Fun on Saturday, 8 July, will feature a variety of activities taking place across the community, including Link Walk, High Street and Burnside field.
The aim is to bring together people of all ages to celebrate everything good about living in Eastfield in an event that is bigger and better than anything the community has seen before.
The summer celebration has grown out of the Eastfield Community Christmas Event on the High Street in December last year, which attracted more than 1,500 residents. Its success prompted community partners to create something even bigger and better. The aim is to stage an affordable day out for residents. To help, some partners are providing activities for free or at subsidised prices.
Attractions and activities will include market stalls and local traders, a National Literacy storytelling tent, live entertainment on stage throughout the day and a dog show.
In addition, the new Community Shop, which redistributes surplus food and household products, aims to launch its shop and café on the day. Eastfield Community Centre will open the doors of its new premises on Link Walk to host a craft fair. More Than Books community library will offer cream teas alongside Creative Briefs, who will be mask-making with children in the new library garden.
Eastfield Residents Association will make popcorn and candyfloss in the 120 Venue on Westway, the new home of Carers Plus Yorkshire, who recently refurbished the premises for use as a community hub.
Through Eastfield PACT regeneration partnership, North Yorkshire Council and other organisations are working to revitalise and regenerate the area. The Festival of Summer Fun is one element of this work.
Community partners and local residents are working with Eastfield PACT to develop projects such as a bike library and regeneration of the High Street and are looking at the possibility of a skate park for young people following feedback from partners and residents.
The Cash for Causes grant scheme, aimed to fund projects in Eastfield, has supported many small Eastfield-based projects since its launch two years ago, including Eastfield Free Fridge and the Eastfield Residents Association, with Eastfield PACT investing in the refurbishment of the new community venue at 120 Westway and Eastfield library expansion and garden to provide additional resource in the area.
Executive member for economic development and regeneration, Cllr Derek Bastiman, said: “The strength of any community is in its people, and this is a fine example of a community coming together, working to display its pride and potential.
“With this event we are addressing concerns about a lack of facilities in Eastfield by showing what can be done when the community works together. Our role is to facilitate and motivate the community to organise something that can be repeated and built on in years to come.”
The event is funded by Eastfield PACT and Eastfield Town Council. Key partners are Carers Plus Yorkshire, Eastfield Residents Association, More Than Books, the Legacy Community Centre, Sparks, which supports people in getting into the job market, Stephen Joseph Theatre, which will host circus skills on the day, and North Yorkshire Council.
Member for Eastfield, Cllr Tony Randerson, said: “This event promises to be bigger and better than anything Eastfield has seen before, and is no less than the good people who live there deserve.
“I hope that everyone has a lovely time and takes full advantage of everything on offer during the day. My grateful thanks go to the organisers and volunteers. I look forward to seeing you all on the day and am keeping fingers crossed for bright, sunny weather.”
The event will run from 10am to 4pm.