Online phenomenon born in Sunderland during lockdown launches 'The Big Neighbourhood King's Coronation Celebrations'
An online phenomenon which started in Sunderland is celebrating its third birthday – with a mega celebration of the Coronation.
The Big Neighbourhood campaign first started at Easter in 2020 to help people cope with the stresses of lockdown at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sunderland woman Fiona Simpson created an online Easter egg hunt where people could safely enjoy Easter activities from their own home.
Membership went from 800 to 78,000
People could print off Easter egg designs for children to colour in, and the idea soon took off.
Members could get their own festival pack, telling them how to make their own VE decorations and props. This time, 12,000 people across the UK joined up.
Other projects followed such as The Big Neighbourhood Pumpkin Trail, and The Big Neighbourhood Lockdown 3.0.
Ideas for street parties, games and food
Now, Fiona is back with the latest instalment called The Big Neighbourhood King's Coronation Celebrations.
She said: “We are making it a space for people to share ideas. Lots of people are planning street parties and family events. You can go on the page and get ideas about activities, games, decorations and food.”
It’s free to join and includes ideas on competitions.
‘It has gone absolutely crazy’
Membership is now up to 78,000 people and Fiona added: “It has gone absolutely crazy. It gained a bit of traction after the Easter project in 2020 but it really took off for VE Day.
"It was supposed to bring communities together at a time when everyone had to stay at home.”
Fiona is the founder of a Sunderland-based company called ARTventurers which delivers colourful art classes, events and parties for babies, toddlers and children.
It does it through a network of franchise branches across the UK, including two in the city of Sunderland and several more in the North East.