I was honoured to be at the Kingston Celebrating Communities Awards at the start of June. The council came together with voluntary and community organisations from across the borough for a wonderful evening celebrating the amazing contributions of volunteers.

More than 300 people attended the event at All Saints Church to recognise outstanding achievements in eight award categories - including unsung hero, volunteer impact, community fundraiser, young volunteer, community team, working in partnership and lifetime achievement.

The awards really showed what makes our communities in Kingston so special. It was amazing to see some of the contributions people have made to our borough and what it meant to them to receive an award for their outstanding achievements.

We hosted the event jointly with Kingston Voluntary Action and Volunteering Kingston. It highlighted to me how volunteering and community engagement are good for absolutely everyone and make Kingston a healthier, better and happier place.

The awards were the centrepiece of our Communities Month celebrations. We know we are stronger when we work together, and throughout June we celebrated our work with partners to make a positive difference to people across the borough.

And this weekend there’s another opportunity for families across the borough to celebrate our wonderful communities and our unique place in history. Kingston Museum's Saxon Fayre is coming to Kingston’s Ancient Market Place.

Visitors will be treated to a working Saxon-inspired forge, a mobile farm, leather work, flax spinning, beekeeping, a falcon display and even a place where you can dress up in period outfits. Throughout the day there will also be music, performances, re-enactments and demonstrations.

It will be a fantastic family day out and I encourage everyone to come along and have some fun!

You can find out more about this and lots of other free and low cost summer activities at www.kingston.gov.uk/SummerFamilyFun

The Saxon Fayre is the latest in a series of great festivals celebrating our rich cultural heritage and vibrant arts scene.

On June 21, the curtain raised on the third Kingston International Film Festival.  The festival brought together independent filmmakers, industry professionals and the local community for three days of screenings, workshops and events.

Filmmakers from around the world, including up-and-coming talent, showcased their projects on the big screens of the Odeon, the Curzon, Rose Theatre, and an outdoor screen by the river in Canbury Gardens. It was a fantastic few days that really put Kingston on the cultural map.

KIFF was closely followed by another fantastic festival of creativity - FUSE International 2024. Kicking off on June 28 it’s a ten-day international celebration of live performance created by young and emerging artists from around the world.

Our festivals and cultural events offer residents and visitors the opportunity to engage with different perspectives and celebrate the borough’s diverse communities. They also attract thousands of visitors, stimulating tourism and boosting local businesses.

It is great to live in such a wonderful borough where creativity is celebrated and valued and our incredible local volunteers and community organisations are recognised and respected for all they contribute to the health, wellbeing and happiness of people across our neighbourhoods.