Building and celebrating Northstowe’s growing community  

From celebrating the existing community to preparing to welcome more residents, the last few months have seen a flurry of activity for Northstowe. Here is a round-up of what has been taking place! 

Sharing the stories of some of the first Northstowe Neighbours 

Northstowe’s community spirit has been palpable throughout 2024 to date, with various events and initiatives bringing residents together. The launch of Northstowe Neighbours, a campaign which celebrates the stories of families and individuals who have made the town their home in its first phases, was a landmark moment for the community. The campaign is centred around a first-of-its-kind documentary film, developed by Homes England in collaboration with Northstowe Arts and Paper Films. Offering a window into the lives of people who have chosen to make the town their home, many familiar faces in the local community have been involved in the initiative to date.

Celebrating the pioneering community 

Earlier this year, Homes England launched the Northstowe Community Activation Fund, providing £120,000 of grant funding to help organisations promote community cohesion and enhance the vibrancy of life in Northstowe. South Cambridgeshire District Council (SCDC) is administering the fund, which is already being put to good use in the community, on behalf of Homes England. 

Northstowe Hub CIO were the first recipients of the Fund, awarded over £7.7k to deliver the inaugural Midsummer Festival in June. The day brought together community groups, organisations, friends, and neighbours through an uplifting day of dance, music, heritage, games, food, and fun.  

Also in June, Sustainable Northstowe hosted a Community Skip Day as part of The Great Big Green Week - a nationwide celebration dedicated to taking action on climate change. In line with Northstowe's affinity to wellbeing and sustainability, the day included a Community litter pick, a ‘Give & Take’ stall, a bike repair station and a clothes swap. 

Later in the summer, Northstowe Arts received £7.5k to support the delivery of an outdoor community cinema event. Taking place alongside the popular annual Northstowe Running Festival, the event offered a free-to-view outdoor screening of Northstowe Neighbours and The Greatest Showman to round off the summer.  

Hindu Samaj Northstowe also received £2,000 to support the Ganesh Utsav 2024, a three-day festival to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi. Hosted at Western Park Sports Pavilion, the event was a vibrant celebration of culture and faith open to the whole community.

In addition to the above, weekly park runs have commenced at Bug Hunter Waters and new lake art was unveiled in July with a community gathering and magical ribbon dance. Produced by local artist Chloe Leaper, working with the community, and funded by Homes England – the two new sculptures are rapidly becoming local landmarks.

Look out for a new blog from Chloe coming soon!