Young people encouraged to get involved in Suffolk's Jubilee celebrations

An event at Trinity park saw groups come together to show appreciation and support for young people

St Johns ambulance cadets and mentors
Author: Jasmine OakPublished 18th Apr 2022

It's hoped getting young people involved in Platinum Jubilee celebrations in Suffolk this year, it'll encourage them to have longer-term roles within the community.

The Festival of Suffolk is a series of events being held in the county this year to mark 70 years on the throne for Her Majesty, the Queen.

It includes things like a 550-mile torch relay, the Suffolk Show, town parades and a service at the cathedral in Bury St Edmunds.

The Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk is hoping this year's events will help youngsters join in with projects about the environment, arts and culture.

The aim is that by getting young people involved in the events it'll help demonstrate the variety of activities available in Suffolk and celebrate the contribution young people make to the community.

The Lord Lieutenant hopes it'll inspire young people to take an interest in things like environment, arts, culture, while gaining the skills to be work ready, have good mental and physical health, and wellbeing.

Pictures from an event held at Trinity Park recently around the involvement of young people in the Jubilee:

The Porch Project Workers

The Porch Project Workers

Pictured Kayleigh Diss, youth work Manager and Lauren Bantock, youth worker at the Porch Project

Young people encouraged to get involved in Suffolk's Jubilee celebrations
2 of 10

Colonel Anthony Fairbanks Weston, one of the Deputy Lieutenants in Suffolk who told us why it is important young people receive this recognition: "It's fantastically important that we get the youth organizations involved. And the, one of the big themes for the Queens pattern of Jubilee is, is around youth.

"We've been adamant right from the word go that we wanted young people to be involved in the celebrations for the Queens pattern of Jubilee and all these ceremonial events"

He told us about something special that has been planned for those who take part in carrying the torch: "We wanted to have something that would be a unique memento of what, is after, an absolutely unique occasion.

"And the pageant will be a truly spectacular event, it will be a unique occasion.

"We've decided we're going to, to get a thousand special Queens Platinum Jubilee, coins, minted for those who participate in the pageant.

"The Suffolk county show and the coin features a unique design for the Suffolk Queens Platinum Jubilee.

"On one side, there is the date and then text around the Queens Platinum Jubilee on the other side.

"So the actual design has got the Queen's head, and it's got the word Suffolk, included within it.

"It was a watercolour that was done (and) It has been used on a number of the different festival of Suffolk mementos, that have been produced.

"And it is the formal logo for the Festival of Suffolk for the Queens Platinum Jubilee .

"So its the Queen's head, a beautiful sort of absolute, a water colour of a sort of sunset looking out for the Suffolk coast and then underneath... it has the word Suffolk Underneath it."

Festival of Suffolk events

Colonel Anthony Fairbanks Weston, has been responsible for putting together the ceremonial aspects for the Queens platinum Jubilee, which includes the pageant, which is going to be the grand finale to the Suffolk Show.

The three town parades, which will be in Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds and Woodbridge.

And a cathedral service in conjunction with the cathedral staff in Bury St Edmunds, which will take place Sunday the 12th of June.

Finally after working on all of these, he is excited to see the events in action: "The torch relay and the pageant itself will be spectacular. And I think that everyone deserves some little memento for taking part in something.

"I would just encourage young people to get involved, encourage everybody, obviously to come along to the show and support us at the pageant, it will be, uh, truly spectacular event."

More details on how to get involved are on the Festival of Suffolk website.

Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app.