Christmas Lantern Project
The Stony Stratford Lantern Project is an exciting community arts project which sees people of all ages joining together at the York House Frame-Making Workshops (and then papering at home) OR buying a Lantern Kit to make their lanterns fully at home. All Lanterners come together for the Lantern Procession which takes place every year as part of the Stony Stratford Switch-On Fun Day (the third Saturday in November). As darkness falls the lanterns are lit and the procession makes its way through the crowd-lined streets of Stony Stratford to the Market Square in time for the switching on of the Christmas Lights at 5.30pm…magical!
Anyone can make a lantern (although young children will need help). Our lanterns are made from willow withies and masking tape which is then covered with colourful tissue paper and PVA glue and lit from within by battery powered lights. We have a different theme for the project every year.
Tickets always go on sale on 01 October and can be purchased via our WeGotTickets home page at the following link:
https://wegottickets.com/lanternproject
The project is entirely run by Volunteers, so if you’d like to get involved please email us at stonylanterns@gmail.com
Join our Facebook group, Stony Stratford Lantern Project, for the latest project information.
The Lantern Volunteers x
Community Gardens
Since the beginning of the Covid pandemic and onwards Stony in Bloom volunteers have been looking after the plots in the Community Gardens at the back of York House, growing vegetables for the King’s Foodbank.
For the last three years from May to October they have been able to send several boxes of veg per week to one of the few Foodbanks in MK that distributes fresh produce to those in need.
The project continues to flourish and expand, and, for several years, we have attained a Level 5 (Outstanding) award in the Royal Horticultural Society’s ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ scheme for community gardening.
Want to get involved?
If you’re a keen gardener and are interested in getting involved with the project, please contact Judy at judith.deveson@gmail.com for an informal, no obligations chat!
And look at these!
The History
In October 2010, York House Centre, in partnership with Milton Keynes Mind (now Mind-BLMK), won an Ecominds grant of c£17,000 for the development of a Community Gardens project on some un-used and overgrown land to the rear of York House. Ecominds is a National Lottery Grant fund for environmental projects that help people who have experienced mental distress to get involved in local green activities to improve confidence, self esteem and physical health. The plots were allocated to local community groups to grow crops and interact to form a gardening community.
Work began in March 2011 to install basic paths allowing access to raised beds and a communal area with picnic tables. A water supply was installed and essential equipment such as new tools, wheelbarrows etc were purchased. A qualified supervisor was engaged by Mind-BLMK to engage with clients and run their weekly Gardening Group. We put a shout out for other community groups who might be interested in joining the project and we had quite a few enquiries….
We were ready to start growing!!
By June 2011, the project was well underway, the thistles were replaced with neat rows of potatoes, beans, carrots and even rhubarb!
What started out as a bright idea to grow a few crops on an under-used piece of community land has now turned into a fantastic outdoor project which is not only beneficial to the members of the various gardening groups but also to the whole town via the availability of a pleasant and attractive picnic area and the further development of Stony Stratford’s only public community centre.
In September 2014, the project was joined by local community interest company BranchOutMK CIC who provide horticultural therapy in a workplace setting for adults with learning disabilities and/or autism. BranchOut moved their office/workshop to the top floor at York House and we have an agreement that they take responsibility for maintenance of the York House grounds, they are also heavily involved with the continuing development of the Community Gardens. This on-going partnership has proved very successful as the gardens have never looked better!
In January 2014 a group of over 30 Volunteers helped to plant our new ‘Community Orchard’ at the far end of the grounds, beyond the Community Gardens. A wide variety of fruit trees (including some heritage varieties) were provided free of charge via Stony Stratford Town Council as part of the Forestry Commission’s ‘Big Tree Plant’ scheme. This resource is used for events and as an area for relaxation, we have also established a ‘story circle’ area.
In September 2014, Mind-BLMK was approached by Daimler who wanted to get involved with the project as part of their community activities. We were very lucky that they donated a brand new polytunnel and came along for a Volunteer Day to help build it! This has been highly beneficial for all groups but it has particularly allowed Mind-BLMK and BranchOutMK to extend their activities and growing season through the winter and provide cover on rainy days.
Just when we thought the project couldn’t get any better, York House Centre established a ‘Corporate Social Responsibility Partnership’ with Mercedes Benz Financial Services (MBFS) whose Head Office is based in Tongwell. To kick off the partnership in June 2016, over 50 MBFS volunteers attended a ‘Day of Caring’ and (with help from contractors Skyline Green and LandMark) installed new, non-slip paths to and through the Community Gardens, extending it to the new polytunnel and the Community Orchard beyond. This has made a huge difference to all our group members but particularly those with mobility problems – the gardens are now ACCESSIBLE to EVERYONE!
We raise funds to support the on-going costs of the project by holding an annual Coffee Morning at the Stony in Bloom Plant Sale in April, we have also received additional funding from the York House Local Giving Fund.
“Blooming Good for Health”
Community Larder
A community larder runs at York House most Tuesday mornings, see the event calendar for more details.
A community larder is a ‘pop-up’ hub, a place to access food that is surplus and might otherwise go to waste, make friends, and provide a warm space.
For a small weekly fee you can get up to 10 items plus fruit and vegetables as an individual member and up to to 20 items plus fruit and vegetables as a familty member.
You can join the larder by visiting www.sofea.uk.com
Alongside the larder runs the community cafe providing the opportunity to enjoy a cup of tea/coffee, piece of cake, and a chat with friends.
The Stony Stratford Lantern Project is an exciting community arts project which sees people of all ages joining together at the York House Frame-Making Workshops (and then papering at home) OR buying a Lantern Kit to make their lanterns fully at home. All Lanterners come together for the Lantern Procession which takes place every year as part of the Stony Stratford Switch-On Fun Day (the third Saturday in November). As darkness falls the lanterns are lit and the procession makes its way through the crowd-lined streets of Stony Stratford to the Market Square in time for the switching on of the Christmas Lights at 5.30pm…magical!
Anyone can make a lantern (although young children will need help). Our lanterns are made from willow withies and masking tape which is then covered with colourful tissue paper and PVA glue and lit from within by battery powered lights. We have a different theme for the project every year.
Tickets always go on sale on 01 October and can be purchased via our WeGotTickets home page at the following link:
https://wegottickets.com/lanternproject
The project is entirely run by Volunteers, so if you’d like to get involved please email us at stonylanterns@gmail.com
Join our Facebook group, Stony Stratford Lantern Project, for the latest project information.
The Lantern Volunteers x