Queen’s Park Winter Festival 2024: A Magical Day of Community Celebration

On Sunday, 8th December, the Queen’s Park Community Council hosted the Queen’s Park Winter Festival with the support of Happy Lizzy, Mozart Community Champions, Hammersmith Community Gardens Association (HCGA), and Westminster City Council. Despite the challenging weather brought by Storm Darragh, the day was a joyful celebration and drew an impressive turnout of over 100 residents.

The festival offered activities and treats for everyone. Children were enchanted by Santa’s Grotto and ‘The North Pole,’ while creative minds enjoyed wreath-making workshops led by HCGA. Local vendors and Westminster City Council set up stalls, adding to the festive atmosphere. Guests warmed up with delicious hot chocolate, soup, mince pies, and Christmas biscuits as they chatted away and caught up with old friends.

For older residents, the over-50s Christmas lunch was a delicious highlight. With all the trimmings of a traditional festive feast, the lunch provided a welcoming space for socialising and dancing. It was beautifully supported by the Mozart Community Champions, who helped serve meals and shared vital winter health tips. Tiaitu from the Champions reflected on the day: “I think the Winter Festival was well organised. The Champions had a clear role, and they enjoyed supporting the over-50s as they could socialise and share winter health messages in a fun way. They were happy to serve some fantastic food, and we got out 24 winter warmer bags and met residents we don’t normally get to see.”

The festival retained its magic despite Storm Darragh forcing a last-minute move indoors. Some elements, like the ice skating, had to be postponed, but the resilient community spirit shone through. One attendee, Jill, summed it perfectly: “Just to say a big thank you for all your and the team’s efforts yesterday to give our community such a great party at the Hub. It was way beyond what we thought would be possible.”
The event was also graced by visits from the local MP, Georgia Gould, and the Lord Mayor of Westminster, who officially opened the festival.

The Queen’s Park Winter Festival was more than just a day of festive fun. Residents from all walks of life came together to celebrate, connect, and escape the awful weather with some friendly faces. In the face of stormy weather, Queen’s Park proved that nothing can dampen the warmth of its community spirit—a real sense of community cohesion shone through.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the incredible staff and volunteers from the Happy Hub, whose efforts made the day possible, to the Harrow Road Soup Kitchen for cooking the excellent lunch, the QPCC Councillors who helped out on the day, and Westminster City Council—your support was invaluable in making the Winter Festival such a success.

Here’s to many more events that bring us together and spread joy—rain or shine!

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