Witney News - Oxfordshire residents invited to The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Garden Party

Oxfordshire residents invited to The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Garden Party

People living in Oxfordshire are being given the chance to attend a unique summer garden party to celebrate The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

Four thousand guests, together with The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh, will attend the party to be held near Henley-on-Thames on the afternoon of Monday 25 June.

To be one of these guests, Oxfordshire residents can apply through a public ballot which will be drawn next month. Successful applicants will join guests from all walks of life including representatives of voluntary organisations and charities, together with civic, community and business leaders.

Over a thousand tickets up for grabs

The event is being jointly organised by the Lord Lieutenants of Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Buckinghamshire as part of The Queen’s UK-wide Diamond Jubilee regional tour.

More than a quarter of the tickets will be available through the public ballot which will be drawn on Wednesday 9 May by the Lord Lieutenants of each of the three counties.

How to apply

The ballot is open to residents aged 18 or over of all three counties. Each successful applicant will be allocated a double ticket so they can bring a guest.

Application forms can be downloaded from Oxfordshire County Council’s website (http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/content/diamond-jubilee-local-events-and-projects) or the Oxfordshire Community Foundation website (http://www.oxfordshire.org/). Residents without internet access can get a hard copy at public libraries from next week. The ballot closes on Monday 30 April and successful applicants will be notified by the end of May.

Guests are promised a splendid afternoon to remember. A highlight is a river pageant themed around the Thames which celebrates the important role the river has played in the life of the three counties over a thousand years.

Closely associated with the event is a major Jubilee fundraising appeal for the four Community Foundations in Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes. To make a donation to the Jubilee Fund for Oxfordshire (http://www.oxfordshire.org/news_item2.php?wnID=1278), or for more information, visit the Oxfordshire Community Foundation website (http://www.oxfordshire.org/cp10.php).