A Queen’s Jubilee Events fund will be launched by Northumberland County Council to help communities celebrate the historic occasion during 2022. 
 

The Queen will be the first British Monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, and to mark her achievement communities in Northumberland are being encouraged to host their own celebrations. 

The national programme of celebrations will focus on the Jubilee weekend of June 2-5, which includes an additional bank holiday to mark the occasion. As part of the celebrations 1,500 Platinum Jubilee Beacons will be lit across the country and one in each capital of the Commonwealth. A number of iconic locations have been identified by the Palace however communities and organisations are also being encouraged to light their own beacon on June 2. A guide to taking part can be found at  https://www.queensjubileebeacons.com/guide  
 

A £70k small grant fund has been allocated by the council and communities will be able to apply for a grant to help with their local events. Grant criteria and details of the application process will be released shortly. 
 

A temporary event co-ordinator role will also be supported by the council to work with communities to develop their events. 
 

There will be a year-long programme of events taking place around the UK, the Commonwealth and around the World to celebrate the historic milestone. The Bank Holiday weekend will provide an opportunity for communities and people throughout the UK to come together to mark The Queen’s 70-year reign. Across the four days the celebrations will include public events and community activities, as well as national moments of reflections on The Queen’s 70 years of service. 
 

Communities are encouraged to get involved in The Big Lunch event on the Sunday of the Bank Holiday weekend. Every year since the idea began in 2009 The Big Lunch has encouraged communities to celebrate their connections and get to know each other a little bit better, coming together in a spirit of fun and friendship. In 2022 The Big Lunch will bring the Jubilee celebrations into the heart of every community. People are invited to share friendship, food and fun with neighbours as part of the Platinum Jubilee celebrations. A Big Jubilee Lunch can be big or small - street party or picnic, tea and cake or a garden barbeque.   
 

Cllr Glen Sanderson, Leader of Northumberland County Council said: “Her Majesty, The Queen is a true inspiration to us all. Her achievements and strength throughout her 70-year reign are something which we can all celebrate. At a time when things have been difficult for us all, I hope that Queen’s Jubilee will be an opportunity for communities to come together and mark this historic occasion.” 
 

Cabinet member for culture, Cllr Jeff Watson, said: “We want to bring back the spirit of the Queen’s coronation when communities celebrated together with street parties and community events. We would encourage all our communities to start thinking about what type of events they could host so we can showcase Northumberland to the world.” 
 

To find out more about the Jubilee and how you can get involved go to https://platinumjubilee.gov.uk/