The Abbeyfield Society’s annual week of celebrations are set to coincide with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Abbeyfield Week is an annual celebration during which residents, staff, volunteers, family, and friends come together to celebrate Abbeyfield’s values and communities. This year, Abbeyfield Week runs from 1-12 June, alongside the Queen’s Jubilee festivities.
Plans for the week include garden parties, lunches, and afternoon teas to celebrate both events simultaneously. Abbeyfield’s national Platinum Planters competition will encourage residents, staff, and volunteers to commemorate the occasion in their garden or outdoor space by introducing a new Jubilee-themed feature. A panel of judges will determine the winners.
Abbeyfield will also be running ‘tea & memories’ sessions in community locations and inviting non-residents to take part. The sessions are aimed at promoting dialogue and interaction, thereby improving emotional wellbeing, and further serving Abbeyfield’s mission of strengthening social relationships and combating loneliness.
Abbeyfield residents have been sharing their memories of the Queen’s coronation in 1953. Audrey Chalk shared her experience of volunteering for the St John Ambulance on The Mall. Audrey said: “I jumped at the chance to be on duty in London. I remember having to get up very early to catch the Tube into town from Mitcham, where I lived at the time. There was a lot of waiting around but when we got there, the troops were already lined up along The Mall.
“When we walked along everybody cheered and waved their flags. We then heard over the tannoy that Sir Edmund Hilary had climbed Mount Everest, so of course there was even more cheering! The atmosphere was terrific – I don’t think I’ve ever experienced the likes of it before or since.”
