People across the UK and beyond celebrated the Coronation of King Charles III, which took place at Westminster Abbey last month.

We joined the celebrations in style with ‘The Coronation on the Big Screen’. Our local community came together in a marquee next to Durham City Rugby Football Club to watch the Coronation, which was the first in almost 70 years, unfold on the big screen.

It was fantastic to see over 300 people attending the event, enjoying much nicer weather than the crowds in London!

Crafts in the marquee

A variety of activities and crafts, including face painting, balloon modelling, crown decorating, and model hedgehog creations kept the children entertained in the marquee, while our colleagues from Team Durham also engaged the kids in archery and games.  

You can’t have a royal celebration without food, so an ice cream van and the guys from Fat Hippo added to the celebratory atmosphere, and many people brought their own picnics to enjoy as well.

Cathedral and Castle were lit up in red, white and blue too over the weekend

What a day it was. A very successful community event with input from many teams across the University. 

The celebrations didn’t end there. In tribute to His Majesty The King's public service, The Big Help Out encouraged people to try volunteering and join the work being undertaken to support their local areas. Our Student Volunteering Team co-ordinated a city-wide litter picking event as part of The Big Help Out on Monday 8 May.

Team of volunteers for The Big Help Out

Despite the rain, over 100 volunteers collected almost 50 bags of rubbish around Durham. We also had a 'Pledge to Volunteer' stand in Durham Market Place, where members of the public could find out about a range of volunteering opportunities.

Well done to everyone involved!