Restore to host a tranquil, family-friendly Cowley Road Carnival

Oxford’s Cowley Road Carnival, which regularly attracts tens of thousands of revellers each year, will again descend on the city’s streets, this year on July 7. The procession has around 500-600 people and more from around 30-plus groups including schools, musicians, dancers and other community groups, and East Oxford will become a carnival of colour and fun.

Restore is thrilled to take part in another Cowley Road Carnival. The street party was originally held as part of a regeneration scheme for East Oxford and the first carnival, as it is now known, was held in Manzil Way in 2001, where the Garden Cafe and The Beehive, two of Restore’s recovery groups, have a home.

The theme for Cowley Road Carnival 2019 is Space is the Place, chosen as an excellent opportunity to showcase the exciting work being conducted by scientists in and around Oxford as well as to celebrate the 50th year anniversary of the Moon landing in July 1969 and wider space exploration.

Restore will be providing a tranquil, family-friendly space away from the bustle of the Carnival. The annual event will take place again at the heart of the community we serve, and we’re excited to be offering:

– live music in the garden, with singer songstress Jada Pearl returning

– drinks and ice creams sold by the Garden Cafe Recovery Group’s service users

– cold homemade lemon crush sold by The Beehive Recovery Group’s service users

– stalls selling a variety of hand made wears, crafts, books, and plants

Every penny raised from bucket collections and selling food and drink in our relaxing garden on the day will go directly onto our mental health recovery services.

Lesley Dewhust, Chief Executive of Restore, said: “Restore is thrilled to be hosting a tranquil family-friendly Cowley Road Carnival again this year. Our Garden, tucked away from the Cowley Road, is always an oasis of calm and, never more so than on Cowley Road Carnival Day.  Restore looks forward to providing a quiet space for people to get away from the bustle! We can’t wait to see how our service users involved in the Carnival interpret the theme of a Cosmic Carnival.  There are so many ideas and themes to explore, from space missions of the past and present, the planets, stars and the solar system and beyond to fiction!”

We’re looking for volunteers to help out at our Manzil Way base on the day, so please email [email protected].