The Big Lottery Fund has awarded almost £300,000 to support community events celebrating the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee over the bank holiday weekend in June.

The money has come from the BIG Awards for All programme which provides small grants to community projects. Since the start of 2012 the Awards for All programme has awarded 144 grants for Jubilee celebrations totalling more than £675,000.

Grants ranging between £300 and £10,000 were awarded to 63 organisations in England. The Awards for All programme is ongoing and voluntary and community groups, schools and health organisation can all apply for funding to support community projects but new applications for events taking place on the Jubilee weekend (2 – 5 June) are not being funded.

Examples of planned celebrations include tea parties and picnics which include live music and other entertainers such as fire-eaters and magicians.

Nat Sloane, chair of Big Lottery Fund England, said: “The Jubilee offers the chance for people from all walks of life to socialise and get to know each other, helping to pave the way for peer support networks to develop and strengthening communities.”