Jubilee hampers raise funds for local causes
Hampers donated by National Grid have helped raise over £1,000 for local causes as part of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
National Grid donated 27 hampers to parish councils along the route of the 57km Hinkley Connection Project including Kenn, Puxton and Tickenham. The hampers, filled with locally sourced coffee, chutney, cheese, champagne and other treats, were raffled off or offered as prizes during the Jubilee celebrations and helped to raise over £1,000 for local causes.
Woolavington Parish Council made £277 from the raffling of the hamper. The parish council will use the funds to make improvements to the local sports field. During the village’s celebrations, the parish council formally opened the Woolavington Playing Field playground, following an extensive renovation funded by National Grid's Community Grant Fund.
Meanwhile, Puxton Parish Council raised over £400 which helped fund the free-to-attend celebrations in the local community where residents celebrated with a community hog roast, barn dance and cake competition.
2022 has been a huge year on the Hinkley Connection Project, with the completion of the world’s first T-pylons between Bridgwater and Loxton in Somerset – one of many innovations in the Queen’s 70-year reign. And to make way for the new T-pylons we're working on removing existing pylons that have been around longer than the Queen's ascension to the throme in 1952.
It’s been great to see people sharing this moment after some challenging years.
The raffling of the hampers added to celebrations all over Somerset marking the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Residents in Churchill enjoyed a royal-themed scarecrow trail, while a duck race in Banwell is among many of the dozens of other events, run by parish councils, that were organised over the extended Bank Holiday weekend.
James Goode, Project Director on the Hinkley Connection Project commented, “The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is a truly once-in-a-generation event. It’s been great to see people sharing this moment after some challenging years. The hampers given to parish councils helped us play a small part in bringing communities together and we’re delighted to see the money raised being used to fund local initiatives.”
“From everyone on the Hinkley Connection Project we congratulate her majesty The Queen on this special Jubilee and thank her for 70 years of dedicated service.”
National Grid and its contractors have a long history of supporting local initiatives. For example, Siemens Energy recently donated £500 pounds to a foodbank run by Banwell Parish Council, along with the ongoing delivery of food parcels to help vulnerable residents. While last year 45 team members participate in a 775.2 km charity bike ride that raised £1,100 for Weston Hospicecare.
