The King’s Coronation: Top tips on planning your

Planning a street party for the King’s coronation? Insurance experts at A-Plan Insurance take you through some steps to help you get started – and some important pointers you can’t afford to ignore.

Last year’s Queens Jubilee saw street parties up and down the country – and served as a muchneeded reprieve from both COVID and the cost-of-living pressures. This year, we’re expecting as many, if not more, street parties as we celebrate the King’s Coronation on Saturday the 6th of May.

But there are so many things to take into consideration when it comes to party planning – no more so than when it involves an entire street or community. A-Plan Insurance offers some useful insights into where to start with planning and why you should consider insurance. Whether you intend to gather as a group to watch the televised Coronation take place at Westminster Abbey, or enjoy some socialising, food and music with your neighbours, there are certain steps you need to take to make sure you, and attendees stay safe and on the right side of the law and mitigate risk. live in a cul de sac, councils are generally happy for this to go ahead without permission. Otherwise, use driveways, parking areas and front gardens – none of these will require council permission. Ensure you don’t obstruct pavements. Another option is a ‘Neighbour’s Picnic’, which can be held in the local park, the only caveat is that you cannot have music or a barbecue, but it may work well for sandwiches and cake!

Google trends data reveals that UK residents began searching for “Coronation Party’ back in January, with searches spiking the most over this past week.

Involve your neighbours from the start. - Get your neighbours involved – and make sure everyone meets to discuss the Big Day beforehand. Ask everyone to bring a dish and drink, and don’t forget to include vegetarian/vegan type options. Please make sure you ask your neighbours to label ingredients, and flag anything that contains nuts. Consider classic British recipes, such as Scotch Eggs, sausage rolls, Bakewell Tart and Victoria Sponge cake. You could plan a barbecue, if you are using private land.

A right royal knees up - It’s estimated that millions will take part in the ‘Coronation Big Lunch’ on Saturday 6th May – whether it’s a family event, a picnic in the park or a street party. The important thing is to start planning now.

Start by picking a date from 6th to 8th May – and a time! You don’t need to stick to Saturday 6th May, or even the daytime, you could plan something on the Bank Holiday Monday evening, if preferred.

If you are planning a Street Party (i.e. you will need to close your road) you will need to contact your local council. If you don’t need to close the road, you can run what is called a ‘Street Meet’. If you

Consider whether you will buy plastic cutlery or reduce waste and encourage neighbours to bring their own. If you need crockery, consider buying some mismatched plates from a charity shop, they appear much more authentic, cause less waste and the charity will benefit from your purchase. You could even clean them up and return them for resale.

To keep decoration costs down, task the local children with creating bunting, flags on (paper) straws, and paper chains. Consider setting up a Spotify playlist and sharing the link with your neighbours who can add their music to it as well. Ask neighbours to chip in together to arrange party insurance.