Platinum Jubilee: Giant lion puppet to join Herefordshire celebrations

A 10ft (3m) lion puppet is among projects to receive arts funding to celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

Seven projects have shared £28,000 in funding from Herefordshire Community Foundation through Arts Council England's Lets Create Jubilee fund.

They include the giant puppet, which will make its debut at a parade during Leominster Festival on 4 June.

Herefordshire Community Fund CEO, Bridie Sullivan, said the Jubilee will be a "showcase of skills and talents".

The puppet has been made by Fetch Theatre and is set to parade through the town, operated by professional puppeteers and students from the local secondary school.

Also receiving funding is youth centre Close House Projects, which was awarded almost £10,000 to lead on a series of creative workshops in Hereford and Ledbury.

Dorstone Jubilee Committee received £4,000 to create an artwork celebrating 70 years of the village's history and Pembridge has received £3,500 to create a documentary-style film telling the story of the village during the Queen's 70-year reign.

Villagers from Wellington Heath have received £1,500 to create a carving from an oak tree, which was planted in 1897 to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria, after the tree died earlier this year

Eardisland, a village near Leominster, received £1,180 towards a project which will see attendees at a Platinum Jubilee creative picnic encouraged to decorate a small canvas which will form a large mosaic to be displayed in the village hall.

In Bromyard, £1,180 has gone towards a series of creative workshops which will be used for an art trail through the town and a Jubilee banner, which will be placed in the library.

Ms Sullivan said the community fund was "thrilled to support creative and cultural activities right across the county".

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