May Day fun at Stepney City Farm
Stepney City Farm’s May Day Festival brought the local community together for a day of celebration and activities.
The day’s activities were made possible with support from L&Q, its Major Works partner Morgan Sindall Property Services (MSPS), and the borough’s Ground Maintenance team, Bidvest Noonan.
Highlights included:
- the farmers’ market
- sheep shearing
- wool spinning
- maypole workshops
- pottery workshops (sponsored by Bidvest Noonan)
- face painting (sponsored by MSPS)
Visitors felt a strong sense of community throughout the day, made even more enjoyable by the sunshine.
L&Q’s Major Works investment programme (MWIP) is able to support community days like this through its commitment to social value.
MWIP is a 15-year, £3bn programme focused on improving the safety, comfort and environmental performance of residents’ homes.
Alongside improving residents’ homes, L&Q and its partners work to deliver social value, helping to create lasting, positive change in local communities.
Corrine Hutcheson, Head of L&Q Foundation, said:
"This event really showed just how important working together is when it comes to making a positive difference in our communities. By teaming up with our partners and taking a local approach, we were able to bring hundreds of local people together for a fun, feel good day that celebrated community spirit.
"It was also a great chance to listen, connect and learn more about how we can continue to support local people and what matters most to them. We’re proud to play our part in making a difference where we work.”
MSPS is one of L&Q’s nine delivery partners for MWIP and played a key role in supporting Stepney City Farm’s May Day Festival. The team’s involvement reflects its ongoing commitment to delivering social value.
On the day, MSPS hosted a recycling game. Participants picked up bean bags representing different types of waste and decided which bin they should go in, before trying to toss them into the correct one. The activity was designed to be fun, while helping children and families learn more about correct recycling and the importance of avoiding contamination.
Arjun Ghosh, Social Value Officer at MSPS, said:
“It was great to see so many families getting involved in the recycling game. It’s a fun, hands-on way to help people understand how to sort waste correctly and why it matters.
"Activities like this are a key part of how we promote the 3 Rs - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle - and support sustainability in the communities we work in.”
L&Q has been working with Stepney City Farm since 2024, supporting the local community with initiatives such as the farm’s twice-weekly Greencare project.
Clare Hawkins, CEO from Stepney City Farm, said:
"Partnering with L&Q this year for the delivery of our annual May Day Festival gave us the capacity to really go the extra mile and put on an amazing event for our local community.
“The sun came out - as did the crowds, and a great day was had by all. A big thank you to Sharon and her team at L&Q for helping to make it happen."
Stepney City Farm is free to visit and open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm. Visitors can also enjoy the onsite café, which serves homemade, organic food.