Free festival organized by 17 year olds coming to Sutton THIS weekend

A summer festival run entirely by young people is coming to Sutton.

Beyond the Box Young Producers and Sutton have partnered to bring the free and inclusive Sutton Summer Festival.

The festival will take place in Beddington Park on Sunday 14th July from 12pm to 6pm and promises an afternoon of fun, music, food and activities for young people and families.

The festival is organized as part of the Holidays, Activities and Food (HAF) programme.

Cllr Marian James, Chair of London Borough of Sutton People’s Committee, said: “I am so proud of the young people who have organized this unique event to bring our community together while raising awareness of the HAF programme, which provides support for families during the holiday season.”

Neil Onions, founding director of Beyond the Box CIC, said: “The Sutton Summer Festival is a fantastic opportunity for young people to take the lead in creating an event that reflects their interests and passions.”

Some of the organizers include Max Anderson, Eleanor Reed, Hongyu An and Calvien Ghimere, all 17 and from Sutton.

Max said: “I’m looking forward to seeing what our work as a team will be like on the day of the event, as well as seeing my ideas brought to life, this is a really big step for me and I think the HAF programme. can bring happiness to the local community.”

(Image: Beyond The Box Consultant)

Eleanor said: “I joined this project because I wanted to be involved in something more than a hypothetical situation of improving people’s lives.

“I love how community events bring people together and improve an area by creating new connections between residents.

“I look forward to working with others and the team to make something special and bring our vision to life.”

Hongyu said: “I was interested in the motivation behind the event – the need to get people active and out of the house really resonated with me – and I was also attracted by the opportunity to build my graphic design experience while I was earning a salary.

“I’m looking forward to talking to more new people throughout the planning and marketing process, and most of all I’m looking forward to the event, which I have high hopes for.”

Calvien said: “I joined this project to explore the world of event management and express my creativity in a meaningful way as I discover my passion for working in creative fields.

“I’ve really enjoyed my time so far and I’m looking forward to seeing the project come together in a way that has a positive impact on my local community.”

Sutton’s government-funded HAF scheme is delivered by Sutton Council which works with local organizations to provide free healthy food and fun activities for children and young people receiving benefit-linked free school meals.

(Image: Beyond The Box Consultant)