A summer festival organised entirely by young people is coming to Sutton.

Beyond the Box Young Producers and Sutton have collaborated to bring the free and inclusive Sutton Summer Festival.

The festival will take place in Beddington Park on Sunday, July 14 from 12pm to 6pm and promises an afternoon of fun, music, food, and activities for young people and families.

The Festival is being organised as part of the Holiday, Activities and Food programme (HAF).

Cllr Marian James, Chair of the People Committee at the London Borough of Sutton, said: “I’m so proud of the young people who have organised this unique event to bring our community together while raising awareness of the HAF programme, which offers vital support to families during the holidays.”

Neil Onions, Founding Director of Beyond the Box CIC, said: "The Sutton Summer Festival is a fantastic opportunity for young people to take the lead in creating an event that reflects their interests and passions.”

Some of the organisers include Max Anderson, Eleanor Reed, Hongyu An, and Calvien Ghimere, all of whom are 17 and from Sutton.

Max said: “I’m looking forward to seeing how our work as a team will be on the day of the event as well as seeing my ideas being brought to life, this is a very big step for me and I believe the HAF programme can bring about happiness within the local community.”

(Image: Beyond The Box Consultant)

Eleanor said: "I joined this project because I wanted to be involved in something more than just a hypothetical situation of improving people's lives.

“I love how community events bring people together and make an area better by creating new connections between residents.

“I look forward to working with other individuals and the team to make something special and bring our vision to life.”

Hongyu said: “I was interested by the motivation behind the event - the need to get people active and out the house really resonated with me - and was drawn also by the opportunity to build my experience in graphic design while earning a wage.

“I look forward to talking to more new people throughout the planning and marketing process, and most of all look forward to the event, for which I have high hopes.”

Calvien said: "I joined this project to explore the world of event planning and to express my creativity in a meaningful way as I have been discovering my passion for working within creative fields.

“I've really enjoyed my time so far and can't wait to see the project come together in a way that has a positive impact on my local community."

Sutton’s government-funded HAF programme is delivered by Sutton Council working with local organisations to provide free healthy food and fun activities for children and young people receiving benefits-related free school meals. 

(Image: Beyond The Box Consultant)