Local organisation, Community Objectives CIC along with its partners celebrate as the long-anticipated return of Light up Latchford goes ahead despite weather warnings when the community pull together to make major changes just 48 hours before the event date.
For the second time, Community Objectives CIC and the Latchford community came together to celebrate the untold stories shared between households each and every day. Following on from the success of 2019’s event, Light Up Latchford was due to be held at Westy Park, Latchford but after a change was held at Cardinal Newman Catholic High School, Latchford on the 27th November 7pm-9:30pm. With plans, for tall puppets, site specific displays and lantern creations in addition to their programme of performances and activities, the community shown a true display of resilience, adaptability and buckets of creativity as they changed the event just 48 hours before the event was due to start.
As the weather blew down trees and encouraged everybody to stay home warm, the community of Latchford pulled together and facilitated a night like no other. In the space of 48 hours, the events activities, offering and location was changed as local school Cardinal Newman Catholic High School kindly offered their support by allowing the event to be held within their grounds and building.
Director of Community Objectives, Jake Liken Said “with the weather warnings our main concern was that if the event was to go ahead, the safety of our attendees was the highest priority. We work with the team at Newman High School in a variety of ways and they were brilliant hosts for one of our lantern buildings workshops where we had an incredible number of students show up to support with building lanterns for our community pick up station for the event. The fact that they were able to support us in such an incredible way is such a great example of the spirit of Latchford. Every person there was very grateful for their support, including me and the team. They saved the event from cancellation, something that I know would affect so many people who aren’t able to access the more costly alternatives; that’s the whole reason why we do this”.
The event was funded through multiple organisations such as Latch Ford Big Local Partnership whom offered each Latch Ford Big Local Resident a free ticket as our main funder, The Coop Foundation and its members, Warrington Borough Councils Community Initiative Fund, ASDA and Curious Minds.
Despite the weather, the event had over 250 people present on the night. The project engaged 158 lantern makers, 8 Marshalls, 45 local Warrington performers, and 14 local small businesses. One attendee stated “It’s cold, really cold, but just look at this, it’s so worth it to see the way that everyone is coming together, especially after the past 2 years… I’m just in love with the giant light up knickers and the story behind them”. With performers from Warrington Vale Royal College, Encore Productions, Creating Adventures, local singers and the dancing duo as well as a range of stalls, activities and walkabout performers and Giant Bubbles from our Ebubblio bubble Fairy, plans are already being discussed for its 2022 event which is surely one not to miss with promises of being bigger, brighter and better than ever.
For more information on how to get involved with various projects the Community Objectives CIC run throughout the year, visit their social media @communityobjectives, website www.communityobjectives.com, or email communityobjectives@gmail.com