Peabodywood Festival provides blockbuster day of fun in Cressing

It was a day of fun in the sun at the “Peabodywood” Festival in Cressing in Essex as customers and colleagues from Peabody’s Care and Support Services, guests and the wider community came together for a truly unforgettable celebration.  

Published: 31/07/2025

Spirits were high at the event at Cressing Temple Barns on 25 June, which embraced a movie theme, encouraging guests to dress up as their favourite film or TV characters - and they did not disappoint.   

Costumes included everything from inflatable dinosaurs and pirates, to Mary Poppins and Mario. Guests made their entrance down a glamorous red carpet and were greeted by a colourful “Peabodywood” sign.  

The festival was held for customers of the Peabody Care Team and extended to the wider Care and Support community, as well as colleagues. The Care and Support Services team provide care, support and housing services to people with learning disabilities either in their own homes or in registered care or supported housing. More widely, the Care and Support Team also provide services for people struggling with their mental health or addiction, as well services for families, young people and rough sleepers. They also provide community outreach support.  

The event, which was organised by Care and Support colleagues from Peabody, also encouraged each regional team to decorate and host their own themed marquees and fill them with activities for guests. There was a silent disco, as well as cake stalls, face painting, balloon art and dancing.  

An Elvis impersonator, who was the MC for the day, kept the energy high. Special guests and performers included presenter David Ribi of Milkshake! on Channel 5, the dynamic Thurrock Youth Creation dance crew, and The Rat Pack tribute act, who all wowed the crowd.  

There were lots of thoughtful touches to make the event more environmentally friendly. Drinks were served in reusable containers, people were encouraged to wear pre-loved clothes or visit car boot sales for their fancy dress attire, and to decorate their marquees with recyclable materials. Packets of seeds were given out to guests to plant and encourage wildlife.    

Sue Allison, Peabody’s Head of Services for People with Learning Disabilities, said: “What a joyous happy day. The imagination and effort that customers and colleagues had to bring the theme to life was phenomenal and kept people very busy for months in advance. I am so proud of how we all worked together to create a very special day with lots of wonderful memories.”  

Jinky Avila, Care Support Worker for Supported Living at Peabody, said: “The customers and colleagues who joined the festival really enjoyed the event including the decorations, the costumes, the snacks and particularly the ice cream due to the hot weather. They also loved the red carpet and the face painting.”  

Linda Street, Team Manager for Care Homes at Peabody, said everyone who came to the festival had a “fantastic time”. “Each year this event gets better and better. It was lovely to see everyone dressed up as film characters and the entertainment, dancers and interpreters were great. It was probably the hottest one we have had over the years, but it was the best in our opinion as my colleagues and customers dressed up as characters from my favourite film Mary Poppins and certainly did me proud,” she added.  

Peabody first hosted the event in 2021 following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions. It was originally launched to bring people together again after the pandemic and proved to be so popular, it’s been back every year since.  

The Peabodywood Festival was a true blockbuster - a celebration of creativity, community, and care.