Cambridgeshire Deaf Association held its first ever Big Community Summer Picnic on Saturday 19 July at Ferry Meadows Country Park in Peterborough, with more than 100 deaf, hard of hearing and hearing people coming together for a fantastic day out.
The popular country park provided the perfect setting for the event. Although the recent hot weather meant barbecues were not allowed, that certainly didn’t stop everyone enjoying themselves. Throughout the day people took part in games including Jenga, tug of war, football and rounders, while others simply relaxed with their picnics, caught up with friends and enjoyed an ice cream in the sunshine.
and both wearing sparkly wigs take a selfie
The picnic ran from 10am until 4pm, with many people saying how much they had enjoyed the day and already asking when the next one would be.
Matthew Wheeler, Communications Manager at Cambridgeshire Deaf Association and organiser of the event, said:
“We were looking for something different to do over the summer to replace our traditional Summer Gala Dinner. Our Christmas parties have become such a success that it felt right to have a balance of different types of events, and a community picnic seemed like the perfect choice.
I’d like to say a huge thank you to the Nene Park Trust, who manage Ferry Meadows, for all of their support in helping us put the picnic together. I’d also like to thank all of the volunteers and staff who gave up their time on the day to make it such a success.
Watch this space for news about next year’s picnic, which we’re hoping will become an annual event, likely taking place on the third Sunday in July.”
The picnic is the latest success in Cambridgeshire Deaf Association’s growing programme of community events. Earlier this year, the charity’s Christmas Party in Cambourne attracted more than 170 people, while its weekly and monthly community activities across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough welcome between 3,000 and 4,000 attendances every year.
Away from face-to-face events, the charity’s online content reaches around three million views annually. Its Hearing Help Service also supports around 6,000 people with hearing loss each year through 33 hearing aid maintenance clinics across Cambridgeshire.
Andrew Palmer, Chief Executive of Cambridgeshire Deaf Association, said:
“CDA plays a really important role in bringing our local community together. We’re the only independent charity dedicated solely to improving the lives of deaf and hard of hearing people across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, so it’s fantastic to see so many people supporting this event.
Throughout the day we had so many people telling us how much they valued the picnic and how much they’d like to see it return next year. What was especially nice was seeing such a wide range of ages and backgrounds coming together to enjoy the day.
I’d also like to thank all of our staff and volunteers for giving up their time and helping make the event such a success.”
We’re already looking forward to doing it all again next summer. Watch a video of the event here:
