Hundreds of free meals provided at Picnic in the Park

Over the course of five days, Picnic in the Park provided free entertainment and over 270 nutritious lunches to children entitled to free school meals.

Nearly 1,400 sessions available

Back for its third year in a row, Picnic in the Park took place at Melbourne Park from Monday 29 July to Friday 2 August, with 1,397 sessions attended across mornings and afternoons that week.

During that time, 278 free meals were provided to children from low-income families. Ahead of the school holiday, children entitled to free school meals were provided with a Picnic in the Park booking link by their schools. Those who booked via this link were given a wristband that let caterers know they were eligible for a free meal.

Bean To You provided lunches

Meals were provided by Bean To You, who came well-stocked each day to ensure children had their choice of pizza, pasta, or hot dog, served with a drink and a snack.

Children not entitled to free school meals were also welcome to join in the fun, and the entertainment line-up included something for everyone!

Free entertainment all week

Picnic in the Park always brings an exciting mix of entertainment to Melbourne Park, but this year really was better than ever.

Each day had a different theme: Monday’s fun fair theme meant Ferris wheel and helter-skelter inflatables, hook a duck, and a double party session with Mister B; while Tuesday’s Olympics theme saw skateboarding workshops with Team Rubicon, football and basketball shoot-outs, and a horse-hopper race!

Entertainment at Picnic in the Park 2024

Once again, 1^st 2 Bounce provided fantastic bouncy castles and fairground games, Mister B brought the party, and the team from Essex County Cricket Club came along to help kids improve their cricket skills with soft balls and bats. Face painting by Moving Canvas kept things colourful, along with the rainbow deck chairs (which were ready and waiting for parents in need of a well-earned rest!).

New for this year, Island Inflatables' climbing wall provided an exciting challenge, and 1^st 2 Bounce’s Nerf Battle arena proved a huge hit with the kids, reaching capacity at every session! Kids Inspire and Barnardo's also joined us in the park with arts and crafts activities.

The climbing wall and nerf battle arena were new for this year and very popular.

Plus, each day our playworkers co-ordinated field games, arts and crafts, and smoothie making with our Fender Blender smoothie bike!

Food and drink on site

Alongside the free lunches provided, there were also food and drink options available to purchase for anyone not entitled to a free meal who didn’t fancy bringing their own picnic.

Vintage Candy Floss was a huge hit with the kids, as was Gelato Italia’s ice cream van, and My Little Drinks Van kept everyone hydrated during the (very) hot sessions!

Vintage Candy Floss and My Little Drinks Van

Councillor Natacha Dudley, Cabinet Member for an Active Chelmsford, said the enjoyment of the children was testament to how important a good meal and the chance to burn off some energy is for children during the school holidays:

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“Picnic in the Park and Play in the Park both aim to provide free entertainment for families and encourage children to get outside and stay active over the school holidays.

"This particular event is extra special, because it’s an opportunity to help out parents and guardians who might be struggling over these longer summer holidays to make up the meals that their children would usually be provided at school. It’s also a fun-filled week, with smiles all round!”

Councillor Natacha Dudley, Cabinet Member for an Active Chelmsford

Playworkers bring the fun!

Each year, enthusiastic young people join the team to help ensure everyone at Picnic in the Park has as much fun as possible. They help children try out new sports, get creative with art supplies, and even pedal the smoothie bike for those with little (or tired) legs.

Playworkers co-ordinate the sessions.

Antony Bensley, Community Sport & Wellbeing Manager at Chelmsford City Council, says the event takes a lot of organisation, but is always worth it:

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“Picnic in the Park is certainly a labour of love and it’s something we’ve been fine tuning over the last few years. This year, it feels like it all came together perfectly.

“We did things slightly differently with the free meals this year, allowing those entitled to free school meals to book these in advance. This meant that we could provide alternative options for those not entitled to a free meal without it feeling like they weren’t included in every aspect of the day. This worked out well and all went off without a hitch.

“Plus, the entertainment was just amazing. All the suppliers did a wonderful job keeping the kids entertained and everyone went home happy and tired at the end of each day (including me!), which is always a good sign.”

Antony Bensley, Community Sport & Wellbeing Manager, Chelmsford City Council

More free entertainment at Play in the Park

If you didn’t make it down to Melbourne for Picnic in the Park, don’t worry – Play in the Park is here for the rest of the school holidays, bringing free entertainment to community venues across the district.

All Play in the Park sessions are free, but you do need to book in advance. Head to www.chelmsford.gov.uk/play to secure your spot!