Press release

Get behind Queen’s 90th birthday celebrations

Greg Clark urges councils and local people to get behind new projects set up to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday.

Street party table

Communities Secretary Greg Clark has today (15 January 2016) urged councils and local people to get behind new projects set up to celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday.

The Queen turns 90 on 21 April this year and national commemorations will centre on her official birthday weekend in June with a mass street party on the Mall called The Patron’s Lunch, a service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral and the traditional Trooping the Colour ceremony.

To help people set up their own Patron’s Lunches and street parties across the country the government has today revised and re-launched its street party guidance.

Busting popular myths and providing a handy checklist for what is really needed, the guidance offers practical advice to anyone planning their own street party.

This includes a simple form people can use to let their local council know about their plans and information on how to apply for a road closure as well as information on playing music, insurance and fund raising.

Communities Secretary Greg Clark said:

The Queen’s 90th birthday is a truly national event and provides a great chance for all of us to reflect on the extraordinary service her Majesty has given this country for more than 6 decades.

The Patron’s Lunch on the Mall will be a fitting way to celebrate this historic milestone – but your community can get involved and honour the Queen through your own street party too.

Our new guidance provides easy, step-by-step advice on how you can get your picnic benches set up, table cloths down and be part of the nationwide celebrations.

There were almost 10,000 applications to councils to hold street parties for the Diamond Jubilee. I want to encourage all councils to once again get behind local people’s plans to bring out the bunting by blowing away bureaucracy barriers that could stop anyone holding a street party.

Alongside the centrepiece event on the Mall, members of the public will be able to soak up the festival-themed atmosphere at large screens and picnic in the neighbouring Green and St James’s Parks.

Local people are also being invited to run their own street parties and reignite the great British community spirit in honour of her Majesty.

Alongside the Patron’s Lunch ahead of the Queen’s birthday on the 4th to 6th March up to 1 million people are expected to clean up their neighbourhoods as part of a national clean-up day, Clean up for the Queen.

The government is fully behind this initiative to spruce up Britain’s streets and would urge councils and community groups to get involved. You can register to take part on the Clean up for the Queen website.

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Published 15 January 2016