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Oxford Street Parties 2010 will be held on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 September.
Residents’ and neighbourhood groups decide what type of party they want to hold and when they want to hold it during ‘street party weekend’ – or they might prefer to hold their party at a different time of the year.
Click on the image to the right to access a double-sided A5 flyer for download. |
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Have you got a couple of like-minded friends who would join up with you and help plan and run a party in your street? Are you already a member of a local community group? Have you run a street party before? If so, we would be delighted if you decide to hold a party in 2010. Whatever date you choose, please let us know by registering. The more registrations we have, the more support and help we can provide for organisers – and we can attract more publicity, which encourages others.
Last year, a wide variety of activities were enjoyed at the street parties – shared meals and BBQs, quizzes, street games, open air cinema, music, charity sale, ‘swap shop’, cycle races, badminton. Amongst the themes were fiesta, alternative transport and recycling. For full details, see Participation 2009 and, for news of who has registered already, visit Participation 2010.
All were much enjoyed and everyone agreed that their party was a great way to get to know their neighbours – young and old. The quotes and photographs below - some featured in articles in the Oxford Mail, The Oxford Times and the Oxford Star - are testimony to how much people valued and enjoyed their event.
“In my experience, street parties are one of the most effective ways to bring communities together.”
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“It felt good to have the road closed, the kids were able to go off round the block together, and did some funky chalk art on the road.” |
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“It was a fantastic evening. There were about 200 people sitting on chairs, floor cushions and bits of carpet. People seemed to love the idea that just for a while the streets belonged to them.” |
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“The event combined recycling with socialising as residents swapped unwanted goods ranging from saucepans to tents to stilts! Neighbours came out of their homes, making new acquaintances and enjoying the autumn sunshine.” |
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“The slow bike race was a good laugh – there were several rounds, from kids on tricycles to adults with ride-on toys. The badminton net up across the road generated a lot of fun, particularly for the kids and volley ball.” |
Running a Street Party
For tips and guidelines about running a successful street party, click here
streetsalive.org.uk and streetparty.org.uk
Street Closures and Insurance
If your event involves a street closure, you will require approval from the City Council (normally readily given) which you need to apply for at least 6 weeks in advance. For an application form and guidance/conditions see closing a street. If you have queries about street closure, contact Julian Alison, Oxford City Council - 01865 252565 or jalison@oxford.gov.uk
Oxford’s City Works department may be able to lend "ROAD CLOSED" and other road signs or advise where they can be hired from, or they can be bought for about £40 each for future use. You can contact City Works at Marsh Road, Oxford, OX4 2HH or telephone 01865 252900. If City Works is out of stock then the County Council will be able to loan signs from their Milton Common depot: contact Stewart Collins on 07834 506171 or Julie Witchall on 07803 258579. Please give at least one week’s notice. It will be your responsibility to collect and return the signs.
We are delighted to announce that the city council no longer insists that organisers of small scale events must take out third party insurance. You will, of course, be responsible for the safety of your event and you may wish to take out insurance even though it is not required by the Council. In practice street parties are usually very low risk events, but you should review the risks involved. See also the Insurance section of the Street Party website and the FAQs page of this site for more information. |
