Cheltenham families enjoy another successful NCLB Party in the Park

Cheltenham’s Pittville Park and Prince of Wales Stadium were buzzing with excitement as families came together for No Child Left Behind’s (NCLB) Party in the Park 2025. The free event offered a packed day of fun, activities and entertainment for the whole family.

Families gathered to enjoy music, dancing and entertainment on the main stage in front of the Pittville Pump Room. Highlights included entertainment and performances from hosts Camilla Lewington and Kishi and Maria Allebone, plus a range of other performances from local groups such as Dance Revolution and Belmont School Choir.

Local community organisations offered support and guidance to families at the advice hub and 955 children were provided with a healthy lunch through Gloucestershire County Council’s (GCC) Holiday Activity and Food Scheme (HAF). Kind food donations for the event were also provided thanks to Sewa Day and the Cheltenham Racecourse. Around 200 children with additional needs took advantage of the quiet hour at 10am, and approximately 1,700 children with additional needs attended the event throughout the day.

At the festival field, both children and adults tried their hands at circus skills with World Jungle, played with parachutes, participated in dance competitions and got lost in storytelling. All ages braved the heights of the climbing wall and took part in sporting activities at The Move More arena. At the urban playground, crowds were amazed by Team Extreme’s daring demos.

Cllr Victoria Atherstone, cabinet member for safety and communities, said: “It’s been fantastic to see Party in the Park return and continue to bring so much joy to local families. The atmosphere this year was full of energy and happiness, and it was lovely to see children and young people getting involved in so many different sporting and cultural activities. Huge thanks to all families for enjoying this very special day with us, it’ll certainly be a day to remember.  

“We’re delighted that so many eligible families benefited from a free healthy lunch, thanks to funding through GCC’s Holiday Activity and Food Scheme (HAF). I’d also like to thank our event partners, hosts, sponsors and volunteers - your support helped make this year’s event such a success.”

Matt Bellshaw, director and head of region at HBD, said: "It was brilliant to be able to sponsor and volunteer at No Child Left Behind Party in the Park, supporting the important work they do with young people in Cheltenham. The Golden Valley team were on-site all day and enjoyed helping students to turn their pencil-sketched dream buildings into AI reality in our 'Golden Valley Imagine' sessions. It was great to meet so many families from across the city, while helping to create a space where community and creativity could come together."

Cleo Jefferies and Lydia Faizey, town planners at Ridge and Partners, said: “Ridge is so proud to have been able to sponsor such an important and meaningful event that brought so much joy to so many families across Cheltenham. We both volunteered at the event and felt so grateful to be able to give back to the community while also having so much fun.”

Nick Cook, director of young people’s services at The Children’s Society, said: “What an incredible day for children, young people and families across Cheltenham – the variety of activities made for a dynamic and fun-filled day. The Children’s Society were delighted to support the event. Across the day we had so many positive conversations with families who shared the day was a real highlight of their summer holiday.”

Thank you to all the event sponsors: Incito McDonalds, Active Impact, Renishaw Engineering, Golden Valley HBD and Ridge and Partners. The zones hosts: The Children’s Society and Move More. And to the Cheltenham Trust for their support and catering – as well as all partners and volunteers who helped make the event possible. 

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You can find photos from the event online in the NCLB photo gallery.

For media enquiries, contact: communications, telephone 01242 264231, email [email protected].

Notes:

Photos for single use only credit to Thousand Word Media Ltd 2025

• To find out more about No Child Left Behind (NCLB), the Summer of Play event, the community agreement, workshops or other events contact No Child Left Behind on Facebook and X or visit NCLB's website.
• The Summer of Play event is partly funded by the Government’s holiday activities and food (HAF) programme – more information can be found on the Gloucestershire County Council website. It has also been designed to link in with the Olympics and the council’s physical activity and sports strategy for the town; making sure everyone has the support they need to access and benefit from physical activity opportunities in Cheltenham. The strategy can be viewed on Cheltenham Borough Council’s website.