Christmas 2019 at Eddington

The Eddington community has been celebrating Christmas and another landmark year in Cambridge’s newest neighbourhood.

Festive community activities throughout December have included a homemade Christmas dinner prepared by and for 35 Eddington residents, and the Eddington Film Club hosting a showing of the Christmas classic It’s A Wonderful Life.

Christmas cheer has also been brought to Eddington’s Market Square with a Christmas tree kindly supported by Gilbert-Ash, the contractors building the Eddington Hotel.

Eddie’s Café, celebrating its first year of weekly community café meetings, held a special Christmas event with food, stalls, music and crafts. Eddie’s Café meets every Monday morning at the Storey’s Field Centre.

About 300 families and community members came to the I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas event, hosted by Eddington group A Toy’s Life and Beyond. The event aimed to help visitors celebrate Christmas in a more environmentally friendly way. There was a Christmas Market with stalls selling eco-friendly products, a toy swap, and activities for children to encourage them to think about sustainability.

Organiser Antoinette Nester said: “By making small changes, as little as they might seem, we feel individuals, families and communities can make a difference, especially around the festive season. It is by starting new traditions within families that children can learn and understand about sustainability and the circular economy in general”.

The festive season continued with about 50 carol singers with St. Augustine’s Choir led by Vicar Janet Bunker. Residents stayed to enjoy mince pies and mulled wine, hosted by the newly-launched Eddington Residents’ Association, a new group to represent Eddington residents. Committee member Steve Carey said: “I was one of the first Eddington residents. We all have something we can contribute to the community and I look forward to watching us grow.”

This year has seen the population of Eddington grow by 60%, with more than 1,750 people forming the community here. Vicky Haywood, Assistant Manager of the Cambridge City Council Community Development Team at Eddington, said: “The Christmas period is always a great time of year for communities to come together and celebrate the festive season. We have been delighted to see Eddington’s growing community, as well as families from other local communities, join in with events and activities. We have worked hard to help Eddington residents organise their own events and celebrations throughout the year, enabling residents to get together, meet their neighbours and make new friends. We look forward to supporting many more residents in creating a sense of community throughout 2020.”