Gorgeous Gorse Hill was set up as a hopeful project. A project that sought to make small positive changes in the local community which we hoped could lead to bigger things or just to put a smile on someone’s face.

2020 has proven a difficult year for hope. But it’s been there. In the small acts. In Gorse Hill we’ve seen it with the creation of mutual aid groups and with the wonderful alley transformations that are taking place.

As the year draws to its end the challenges we’ve experienced through 2020 are unlikely to ease; the nights will draw in and the weather will change. How can we mitigate these challenging times ahead? How can we as a community continue to support and show support to one another when we may not be able to see one another?

So, Gorgeous Gorse Hill had an idea, something to replace our cancelled Winter Fair. A Winter Lantern Festival – bringing light in the darkness, something everyone could join in, something to connect us all together in hope.

There’s going to be lots of things going on so that people can get involved:

• We’re producing a “How-To” leaflet so you can make simple lanterns at home for you, your neighbours and street. There’ll be suitable for little ones to make to. Watch out for it dropping through your letter box in October.
• We’ll be sharing a lantern making video on our website and social media channels so you can make and follow along with our local artists who are supporting the festival.

But there are things you can be doing now to be prepared:

Start washing and collecting glass jars.

Start collecting/sourcing battery tea lights.

Start saving and collecting clean paper bags.

All of these simple ingredients will be used in our lantern making lessons. The more you have the more lanterns you can make!

How wonderful will it be to see every street in Gorse Hill filled with light on the 21 November. We are also planning an exciting lantern parade with large scale lanterns we are making with our artists and Gorse Hill Studios – watch this space for more on that!

Excited! Hopeful! You should be – the more that get involved the better this will be. Start spreading the word with your friends and neighbours, everyone can join in. Keep checking our website or join our Facebook group for regular updates.

Can’t wait to get started, here’s a simple lantern making video you could do now, with easy to find materials at home.

Let’s make Gorse Hill fill with hope this Winter.