Chelmsford kids from one road learn puppets together

For more seasoned local church community event organisers, HOPE’s support gave them courage to put faith into words at the parties. Tyrells Way, Chelmsford, Essex has a reputation for good street parties and this year one member of the road to offer souvenir New Testaments as gifts wrapped in red white and blue tissue paper with a Union flag as a stamp. Including a God-dimension to the day was “down to the inspiration of HOPE,” they said.

Christine Cooper commented: “People wanted the book that the queen loved. One child went home and asked ‘Mummy will you read it to me?’ Thank you letters were received from adults and children. Later that night a family came knocking for another two. We hadn’t got enough!”

"I am all ‘ Jubileed-out’ but wasn’t it grand! We have a Queen who walks with God and gives us a glimpse of what being part of ‘God’s Royal Family’ is all about. It was great that this year even more people got involved. I asked children from the road if they wanted to learn puppetry skills for a jubilee show. In 6 weeks we had a team of 11 presenting ‘Britain’s got Talent’. Our show ended with the Queen being Britain's greatest talent. The Royal New Testaments wrapped in red white and blue tissue paper with a Union Jack as a stamp and the Puppet Queen Elizabeth’s photo giving final timings of events of the party looked impressive. The community of Tyrells Way had a great party and it was down to the inspiration of HOPE that we were brave enough to give God a slot and it was another happy party."