The Coronation Weekend in Sandwell: how to get involved

27th April 2023

The Coronation Weekend in Sandwell: what’s happening in our borough?

The Coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort is taking place at Westminster Abbey on Saturday 6 May.

Closer to home, Sandwell will see events across the borough over the bank-holiday weekend.

The Coronation Weekend events between Saturday 6 and Monday 8 May provide opportunities for our communities to come together. They include the Coronation Big Lunch, Mayoral visits, a live screening of the Coronation concert, street parties, tree planting and the Big Help Out.

The Coronation Big Lunch

The national Coronation Big Lunch is taking place on Sunday 7 May.

From a cup of tea with a neighbour to a street party, the Coronation Big Lunch is a great opportunity for communities to come together. It’s also a chance for local businesses to give back to their communities by donating services or goods such as food, decorations, music or a venue.

You can get your Coronation Big Lunch pack from the Eden Project.

For the Coronation Big Lunch you’re welcome to take part in a picnic with the Mayor at Sandwell Valley Park. From 4pm, Sandwell residents can bring sandwiches, snacks and drinks and join the Mayor in celebrating the Coronation Weekend.

Mayoral and West Midlands Deputy Lieutenancy visits

In the week before the Coronation Weekend, the Mayor of Sandwell will visit a number of schools and organisations across Sandwell. Sandwell Business Ambassador John Wood will also be out and about in his capacity as a Deputy Lieutenant.

Live screening of the Coronation Concert at Sandwell Valley

You can watch a free live screening of the Coronation Concert at Sandwell Valley on Sunday 7 May. The concert itself takes place at Windsor Castle but you can watch without even leaving the borough. You can also get your organisation involved by booking a stall at the Sandwell Valley event.

Stalls for charities, volunteering organisations and not-for-profit groups are free. To sign up your organisation or group enter your details here. 

From 5pm until late, the Sandwell Valley Showground will host diverse performances from Sandwell entertainers before the concert begins. There will also be street food vendors, rides, community stalls and children’s crafts and games.

Organise a street meet or street party

From Saturday 6 to Monday 8 May, you could celebrate the Coronation with your neighbours, family and community. Sandwell Council is encouraging people to take part in street meets and street parties across the borough. That could be on the Big Lunch date of Sunday 7 May – or any time over the weekend.

A street meet could take place on a driveway, parking area, front garden, communal area or end of a cul-de-sac.  It doesn’t require road closures, public liability insurance or fees. Just for the people taking part to be happy and adherence to a few simple rules.

Another option for residents to organise an event is to have a street party. These take more work as they require a temporary road closure application and public liability insurance. But they’re great community activities. You would need to make sure local residents are happy with these plans as well.

Check out the Visit Sandwell website to discover how easy it could be to host a free street meet or street party event.  

Organise a larger celebration in a park or green space

Perhaps your Sandwell organisation or business would like to organise a larger celebration over the bank holiday weekend?

Sandwell is home to some magnificent open spaces that are great for celebrations. If you would like to host a larger event in a park or green space, you can find more information on the process on the Sandwell Council website.

Take part in the Big Help Out

On Monday 8 May, members of the public are invited to take part in The Big Help Out. This national day will highlight the positive impact volunteering has on local communities.

The Big Help Out is being organised by The Together Coalition and partners including The Scouts, Royal Voluntary Service and faith groups.

The aim is to use volunteering to bring communities together, whilst creating a lasting legacy from the Coronation weekend.

There are also some great ways you can ‘help out’ locally. Find out more on the Let’s Go Sandwell website.

‘Get involved’ fairs

On the same day as the Big Help Out, Sandwell Council of Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) will be launching ‘Get involved’ fairs across the borough. The fairs will take place during the volunteering week period Thursday 1 to Wednesday 7 June. We’ll share more on these when we have more information.

Happy Coronation Weekend

You can find out more about the Coronation Weekend plans on the Royal Family’s website.

Wherever and however you are celebrating – or even if you aren’t celebrating – we wish you a relaxing bank holiday weekend with the people who mean most to you.

The application window for the King’s Awards for Enterprise opens next week: see our tips for applying.