Historic charter celebration to showcase 'brilliance of Ipswich'

Why it matters: The festival aims to unite organisations across Ipswich in celebrating the town's heritage while building towards its future, following St Mary le Tower's elevation to Minster status.

The big picture: Charter825 will run throughout 2025, bringing together community groups, charities, faith groups, civic institutions and businesses under one banner to commemorate the historic royal charter granted in the churchyard of what is now Ipswich Minster.

What they're saying: "This is a momentous anniversary, and a tremendous opportunity bring our town together in all its diversity," says the Reverend Tom Mumford, Chair of the Charter825 organising group and Vicar of Ipswich Minster. "Charter825 commemorates a crucial event in Ipswich's history, and it's about being inspired by the past to guide us into the future."

The details:

• Ipswich Minster officially launched the festival on 19 January 2025

• Local schools are participating through commissioned work on the charter

• Art and poetry competitions have been organised around charter themes

• A public exhibition of local creative work opens at the Town Hall from 21 June

• A concert featuring local talent is scheduled for 27 June

What's next: Organisations across Ipswich can register their own events as part of the Charter825 programme, whether specially planned or already scheduled.

The bottom line: The festival offers free branding support to participating groups, with central promotion through Ipswich.Love's website and social media channels, aiming to increase visibility and attendance for all events.