School children are getting into the Basildon 70 spirit for Carnival!

17 Jul School children are getting into the Basildon 70 spirit for Carnival!

To celebrate the 70th Anniversary of Basildon New Town, Ryedene Primary and Nursery School and Greensted Junior School have partnered with Basildon Council to enter a ‘Basildon at 70’ float into the Basildon and Pitsea Carnival this year.

Forty talented pupils aged 8 to 11 have been working hard to create a colourful array of costumes and decorations featuring their favourite things about Basildon and of course a huge number seventy!

Riley from Greensted said his favourite part about the project was colouring and working as a team and Melissa from Ryedene added “it’s nice to work with children from other schools because you learn different stuff from them and you tell them about different stuff you do here”.

Ingrid Anderson, Artist in Residence at Ryedene Primary and Nursery School and workshop lead said the inspiration for the project is “everything Basildon. We’re working with children who were born here and have grown up here so we’re looking at Basildon landmarks, jobs, iconic people and what it’s like to live in Basildon”.

Tracy Dennis, Head Teacher a Ryedene added, “it has been Ryedene’s absolute privilege to lead these workshops on behalf of Basildon Council to help raise the profile of the carnival. The children are so excited to be part of such an amazing community event”.

Ian Hampshire, Head Teacher at Greensted Junior School said “Greensted Junior School is proud to take part in this carnival celebrating Basildon’s rich history. Our pupils have worked incredibly hard on this project and are keen to show off what they have produced. They have loved learning about the history of the new town from its humble origins back in the fifties to the incredible town we live in today.”

The float itself has been generously provided by Ford who themselves have a rich history in the town.

Councillor Gavin Callaghan, the Leader of Basildon Council, added: “This is a great example of local groups and young people coming together to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of Basildon New Town. I can’t wait to see all the wonderful and creative work of the pupils during the Carnival parade and would encourage people to come along and enjoy a real community day.”

The Basildon and Pitsea Carnival takes place on Saturday 27 July, with the parade starting at Holy Cross Fields at 12noon, finishing at Northlands Park with entertainment, stalls and activities for all the family.

To find out more about the events taking place throughout 2019 for Basildon at 70, please visit www.basildon.gov.uk/basildon70