Norden Farm are bringing back this much-loved free community celebration in 2022, bigger and brighter than ever. Help us light up the night this winter and join the gathering on Saturday 10 December.
Norden Farm's work with children and young people goes to the heart of what we do. We provide workshops, shows, music, art, drama and so much more to bring joy to children from across the borough.
Norden Farm's Community Lantern Parade promotes creativity as a positive way for the community to get together and strengthens Maidenhead through shared experience. The lantern Parade is not just one cracking night, it's two months of fantastic community workshops for local people, community groups such as The Autism Group, Family Friends, Achieving for Children and Thames Valley Adventure Playground, and local schools. Our workshops leave a legacy of skills, confidence and pride in the young people we work with and the teachers and tutors who support them. In 2019 we worked with 9 local schools and engaged over 914 local young people in our workshops.
The impact of the project:
- For disadvantaged participants – we give the opportunity to take part in creative activities led by professional artists – this gives confidence, raises self esteem, teaches creative tools to manage anxiety and practical tools which can be used time and again.
- For the community - this huge celebration of our town brings people together in music, dance, creativity and joy, helping to knit this vibrant and diverse society even more closely together.
Whilst Norden Farm is celebrated by RBWM Council for our contribution to the vibrant life of the area, the Community Lantern Parade relies on crowd funding and the generosity of local trusts and businesses to help us succeed. We are hoping to raise £20,000 to cover the cost of The Community Lantern Parade in 2022, we have applied to local trusts to support us and aim to receive £16000 in grant funding. With your help we can raise the final £4000 needed.
The Lantern Parade began in 2013 and has grown year on year, attracting over 2500 people to take part in 2018's parade and many more to line the streets, sing dance and join the celebration. Your generous contributions helps ensure that we can continue our work with schools, community groups and local young people.
News coverage from our 2019 Parade
'What a wonderful evening to be out in Maidenhead. The Lanterns looked beautiful, and the crowd were enthusiastic, a great combination!’ Paul Render 2018
How did the Lantern Parade make you feel? ‘Excited, proud of our town, happy, in awe of the scale of the parade and how beautiful the lanterns looked’