Once again we have very special plans this year to come together as a community with something we can all enjoy; we will hold the BIG SING at the Sunday closing ceremony, which has made such a big emotional impact for the previous three years, as well as the running (or walking or hopping or skipping) over 24 hours.
The theme for this year is small park BIG CONNECTION, ten years of solidarity with Palestine and we will review all the themes of Palestinian life we have covered over the past events.
Look out for our BIG SCREEN which will keep you informed of what is going on, show short films and the impact we have had in supporting people in Palestine.
In addition in the focus for Saturday in the Palestinian Voices Tent (PVT) will be Palestinian prisoners to coincide with Red Ribbons campaign. The PVT this has been a successful place for raising and amplifying the voice of Palestinian people and we are looking forward to be able to do this again. In another repeat, we will follow this, as in the previous two years with a solidarity supper..
We hope to welcome back Families for Gaza who helped make the 2024 and 2025 event ssuch a wonderful place for children.
DRAFT Programme for small park BIG RUN 2026:
| Date / time | Activity |
|---|---|
| Saturday 20th June, from 10.30 | BIG SCREEN programme starts |
| Saturday 20th June, from 11.30 | Registration tent will be open! Outside Meersbrook Hall. |
| Saturday 20th June, midday. | small park BIG RUN 2026 starts. |
| Saturday 20th June, midday. | Walled Garden cafe opens for refreshments and cake. |
| Saturday 20th June 1.30pm – 5.30pm | Palestinian voices: . The theme this year in the PVT is Palestinian prisoners – their experience and the impact of stsematic impriosnment of Palestinian people. Please join us in the Palestinian Voices Tent outside Meersbrook Hall to hear from ex prisoners from Palestine and in the UK. The programme in the tent is here |
| Saturday 20th June, 1pm-5pm. | Lantern workshop Come and make a lantern to light up the the woods overnight. Little and big folk welcome. Outside Meersbrook Hall. |
| Saturday 20th June 2pm-5pm | Join the writing team for games to inspire poetry. Outside Meersbrook Hall. |
| Saturday 20th June 2pm-5pm | Families for Gaza craft workshop Make a Palestine Poppy Start a square for our second Quilt For Palestine Browse the kids’ ‘Palestine Library’ Face painting, bubbles and colouring Outside Meersbrook Hall. |
| Saturday 20th June 5pm | Walled garden cafe closes |
| Saturday 20th June 6pm to 7.30pm | Solidarity Supper: join us for a solidarity Palestinian meal Outside Meersbrook Hall. The meal last year was a huge and delicious success. |
| Saturday 20th June, about 7.30pm till about 8pm | Lantern walk Assembling outside the hall, we’ll walk the park circuit and woods, hanging lanterns made earlier to create a magical atmosphere for evening and nightime runners and walkers. |
| Saturday 20th June, about 8.15pm till about 8.45pm | Torch of remembrance We’ll hold a solemn procession around the park with a torch to honour all killed in the genocide, with a focus on scholasticide. LED candles will light the way and be placed at the solidarity tree afterward. |
| Saturday 20th June 8.45pm | Ghost Hunting, a film by Raed Andoni |
| Sunday 21st June, 10 am | Palestine Voices Tent join us for a Palestinian breakfast and watch Freedom to Run, a film from the Right to Movement campaign, on the BIG SCREEN. |
| Sunday 21st June, 11 | Walled Garden cafe opens |
| Sunday 21st June, 11 am | Buskers hour Wonderful musicians will line the course in the final hour, energising and entertaining participants! |
| Sunday 21st June, midday | Run ends. |
| Sunday 21st June, midday-ish UK time | The BIG SING featuring a live link up with Palestine : this will be shown on the BIG SCREEN. Join in our mass solidarity sing led by six Sheffield based choirs. The more the merrier. Bring a hanky! |
| Sunday 21st June, 12.30pm | Fun run Free lap dash around the park with ice pops. Lord Mayor will be handing over a signed certificate to all the children who participate. |
| Sunday 21st June, 12.45pm | Fun run finishes. |
| Sunday 21st June, 2.00pm | Walled garden cafe closes |
Palestine Voices tent programme:
| Time | Title | Session lead | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| SATURDAY 20th JUNE | |||
| 1.30pm | Palestinian Prisoners 1 | Kholoud Ajarma (tbc) | The first of two zooms exploring the experience of Palestinian prisoners |
| 2.30pm | Palestinian Prisoners 2 | Kholoud Ajarma (tbc) | The second of two zooms exploring the experience of Palestinian prisoners |
| 3.30pm | Supporting prisoners of Zioinism | tbc | The impact on Palestinian society of systematic imprisonment and how prisoners are supported |
| 4.30pm | UK prisoners for Palestine | tbc | Experience of an activist in the UK who have been imprisoned for trying to stop arms going to Israel to fuel a genocide. |
| EVENING programme | |||
| 8.45 | Ghost Hunting | An experimental film about imprisonment of Palestinian men | |
| SUNDAY 21st JUNE | |||
| 10am | Palestinian breakfast and film | Join us for a Palestinian breakfast and watch ‘Freedom to Run’ . This film follows Palestinian running group ‘Right to Movement’ and a group from Glasgow as they train for and run, both the Palestine and Edinburgh marathons. Whilst in Palestine, the Scottish runners learn about the impact of the restrictions on everyday life, and that something as universal as running is a far from easy task. The runners discover that they are not so different, but that they live very different lives |