Last year my daughter Maisie had a simple idea.

“What if we had a picnic in the park so everyone could come together?”

So we did.

What started as a small idea turned into a really lovely day. Families brought blankets, kids ran around together, people got creative, and neighbours who’d never spoken before ended up chatting in the sunshine.

It just felt like proper community.

So this year we’re doing it again. And this time Aurora wants to get involved too.

We’re planning Picnic, Paint & Play at Ashfield Park – a free day for families to come together, get creative and just enjoy being in the park together.

The plan is to have things like:

• Crafts and painting for the kids

• Face painting

• Bubbles and outdoor games

• A few snacks

• Plenty of space for families to bring a blanket and have a picnic

We learned a lot from running it last year. One thing we’d really like to improve this time is making the day a bit easier and more comfortable for everyone. One of the big things we’d like to do is hire a port-a-loo for the park, alongside covering the cost of craft materials, activities and bits for the kids.

So we’re raising a bit of money to help make the day happen.

The day will be supported by Let’s SHAPE Our Creativity, a local community organisation that runs creative sessions and projects to bring people together through art, creativity and shared experiences. Creating spaces where people feel welcome, connected and able to take part is at the heart of everything we do.

We’d also really love the community to be part of it.

If anyone would like to volunteer on the day, help with an activity, or lend a hand setting things up, it would mean a lot.

And if there are any local businesses who’d like to support the day in any way, whether that’s donating something small, helping fund an activity, or getting involved, please get in touch.

This is just about creating a nice day where families can come together, kids can play, and people can feel part of something.

Every donation helps, and if you can’t donate then sharing the page helps just as much.

Thank you for helping us bring Picnic, Paint & Play back to Ashfield Park