Posted on 5th May
FAMILIES under lockdown will still be able to mark the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day with celebration boxes being distributed to a number of homes in the Newark and Sherwood area.
Traditionally, street parties would have been the occasion of choice but social distancing and the importance of ‘staying at home’ during the Covid-19 pandemic has meant that alternative ways are being conjured up for a good old British knees-up.
Among them is the idea of a family VE Day garden party and the boxes being handed out Newark and Sherwood Community Hub, with the help of Newark and Sherwood District Council, include all you need to make bunting and a Union Flag kite as well as helping you decorate a paper plate.
The packs also include masks and glasses in red, white and blue to wear on May 8 and a medal for each child to commemorate the day.
The council’s Community Protection Officers will ensure that they are delivered to families identified by the Lifespring Church in Ollerton and those who have accessed emergency food via the Ollerton Community Action Response group.
Jill Musson, from Newark and Sherwood Community Hub, said: “The idea for the boxes came from social media, suggesting that we party in our gardens for the VE Day 75th anniversary as we cannot do so together as a community. Most children are not in school at the moment and they may be not learning much about VE Day, so we thought that this would help create interest and help with some home learning about the history of the occasion.
“If the only place people can get out to is the garden then we thought that by providing some resources we could help them hold a party and that’s why we thought the crafts would come in handy. We still hope we can invoke the spirit of VE Day.”
District Council leader David Lloyd said: “This is a great idea to both learn about and celebrate the 75th anniversary of VE Day. It is somewhat ironic that we can’t quite enjoy the freedoms that we will be celebrating at the moment but not without good reason.
“However, we can still have that sense of togetherness, share the occasion and when the lockdown is over we will have double reason to celebrate.”
