A Birmingham hospice is hosting a family-friendly ‘Party in the Park’ on Sunday 21 July, as part of its 40th anniversary celebrations.
Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice is inviting the local community to enjoy an afternoon of music, food and fun to commemorate the four decades it has been providing care across Birmingham and Sandwell.
Taking place at Selly Park Recreation Ground between 11am and 4pm, the free event will see live music from local bands Dry Rain, Reply and Restless Dog, street food from Digbeth Dining Club, and art and craft stalls from local independents.
Baking enthusiasts can submit a cake to the Hospice’s very own ‘Bake Off’ tent, with entries being judged by the charity’s friendly catering team.
There will also be lots of activities to keep children entertained – from fete games to raffles to tombolas. Brave under 12s can battle it out to become an ‘Ultm8 Warrior’, which will see them climb, crawl and balance their way through an exhilarating obstacle course aimed at juniors.
Selly Park Recreation Ground sits behind Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, which 40 years ago opened its doors to care for local people who are living with life-limiting illness. Back in 1979, the Hospice was the first of its kind in the Midlands and only the seventh nationwide.
Four decades later and Birmingham St Mary’s remains the city’s largest independent hospice. It supports over 400 people every day to live well with illness, providing care in people’s homes, in the community, and at the Hospice itself.
Lucy Watkins, head of fundraising at Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, said: “2019 has been a big year for the Hospice and so we wanted to do something special that would involve all our communities. Party in the Park is a great way to bring local people together and celebrate our momentous milestone, whilst also giving us an opportunity to thank everyone for their kind support over the past four decades.
“I’m really looking forward to welcoming people to our event – it’s set to be a really enjoyable day that everyone in the family can enjoy. So whether you’ll be dancing the day away to live music or would prefer to sit back and take it all in with an ice cream, come on down, have fun and show your support for 40 years of Birmingham St Mary’s.”
It costs Ł9 million to run the Hospice’s vital services every year, over 60 per cent of which must come from generous voluntary donations.
Party in the Park is taking place at Selly Park Recreation Ground, Raddlebarn Road, Birmingham, B29 7DA. There will be food and drink for attendees to buy on site – with funds going towards the Hospice – but people are advised to bring their own deck chairs and picnic blankets. Please be advised that there will be no parking on site.
To find out more, please visit here.