About GRASS
GRASS – Gordon Road Area Street Scheme – was originally setup in 2003 as a resident led community volunteer group. GRASS Cliftonville stated aims are to improve the quality of life for residents in Cliftonville and to enable and encourage children, young people, families and the older generation to actively participate in society and influence the issues and decisions that affect our lives.
GRASS has built a strong connection with the community through the wide range of events we deliver each year and was community award winner at the Thanet Community Awards in January 2019. GRASS Cliftonville is also proud to be members of the NVCO which has a diverse community of over 14,000 member organisations – a third of the voluntary sector workforce in England.
Our calendar of community events includes Cliftonville in Bloom, Cliftonville Games the , Cliftonville Outdoor Cinema and the GRASS Children’s Christmas party.
Cliftonville in Bloom is a gardening competition that aims to encourage residents in Cliftonville to use their horticultural skills to help the environment and improve the appearance of our area. Entry is free with categories for both experienced and novice gardeners, and there are certificates awarded to the winners.
The annual Cliftonville Games day has a focus on community, diversity and inclusion. GRASS provides many free activities for children, including inflatables, races, arts & crafts, and the event also includes street food vendors, market stalls and live music. This year the Cliftonville Games had up to 4,000 people in attendance at the Oval Lawns. Analysis of our recent Cliftonville Games survey shows that for 34% of attendees at this year’s event, it was their first time attending an event in Cliftonville, whilst 96% stated that they would attend another community event run by GRASS.
This summer GRASS is bringing a free outdoor cinema to the whole community. The Cliftonville Outdoor Cinema will use the Oval Band stand and its natural amphitheatre to deliver a free ticketed cinema event that will bring the whole community together to celebrate laugh and experience the joy of an outdoor movie experience. The cinema
will give the opportunity to everyone in our community young and old to attend and experience an outdoor cinema event.
The GRASS Children’s Christmas Party brings our diverse community together during the festive season, we celebrate with games, music and food. Santa Claus is in attendance and it creates a fun, safe, and welcoming environment for residents of all faiths.