Celebrating community, creativity, and wellbeing through inclusive, volunteer-led events across Fakenham and beyond.

Fakenham’s inaugural International Film Festival Competition was a resounding success, with Norfolk filmmakers taking to the red carpet to celebrate their creativity and achievements.

Fakenham’s much-anticipated second Film Festival opens on 23 September , bringing three weeks of film, community, and creativity to the heart of the town. Each evening of the Festival promises a rich mix of cinematic experiences – from blockbuster feature films with local connections to rarely seen archive footage and unique glimpses of Fakenham life on the big screen. Festival Highlights Feature films made in Norfolk – opening night kicks off with the magical fantasy adventure Stardust. Over the following weeks, audiences can enjoy classics such as Shakespeare in Love, Yesterday, and Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa – spotting familiar Norfolk landmarks along the way. Historic local footage – specially selected from the archives. Fakenham on film – events and stories from the town, starring local people. Independent film showcase – with live discussions and Q&As with filmmakers. Film competition & Red-Carpet Awards Night – an exciting new addition this year, featuring films with a Norfolk connection. The glamorous awards ceremony is open to everyone.

Town Centre festivals reimagined

The film, S.I. Superficial Intelligence , was made by pupils at Burnham Market primary school and premiered at Central Fakenham cinema on the 25 th March this year. The film has now won a prestigious national award at a star-studded ceremony in London. The ceremony was hosted by Rose Ayling-Ellis MBE and the trophy was presented by the actor James Norton. Active Fakenham organised the red-carpet event in Fakenham in March with idea the film would be such a success. Richard Crook, from Active Fakenham said, “the film oozed quality and was very engaging. We are thrilled for the young people who made the film and received this thoroughly deserved award. The film will be shown again in September at the Fakenham Film Festival which is being overseen by Ashley Williams who spearheaded the Burnham Market production.” Andy Lawson, the Central Cinema Fakenham manager, said, “The cinema was packed and we had to put on an additional performance. It is great news for the school, the pupils and the area. We are pleased to be showcasing local talent” More information can be found at the official Into Film website: https://www.intofilm.org/news-and-views/articles/into-film-awards-2025-best-film-5-11-superficial-intelligence

Active Fakenham - pleased to be supporting young people in our town

Call for Artists - Fakenham Arts Festival

Active Fakenham’s Easter Sunday Funday and Festival of Running was hailed as a great success. Hundreds of runners flooded to the market town to join in the with official UK Athletics 5k race and 1k Fun Run. There was even a small Toddle’n’Trike race for the under 5s. Active Fakenham’s social media channels were abuzz with positivity. One person posted “Just a small message to thank all of the Marshalls firstly and then the organisers for this event! My son did the toddler n trike last year & we came back this year for the 1k fun run! We watched the 5k & the joy on people’s faces is superb! My son almost 5 years old really enjoyed the race & loved that he got a whole goodie bag for himself. This event is super & I can’t wait to continue to do the fun run with my son for many years hopefully! Well organised event with super volunteers!!!!!” She added, “Fantastic event, so enjoyable to be able to see other runners and then the younger ones taking part! Everyone myself or my son spoke to was very polite!” Richard Crook from Active Fakenham said, “everyone had fun, the feedback we have had is fantastic. We had runners from one year old to eighty. We had very quick club runners, and beginners or people just jogging the circuit for fun. Many were raising money for charity. We had over three hundred in the 5k and over 150 in the Fun Run. I would like to thank the many volunteers who made this happen and the local companies that sponsored the event. Without them it would be impossible. Richard added, “This is the first of five festivals we are organising in 2025, including the popular Riverside Festival, duck and raft races, Fakenham’s first Arts Festival with dozens of venues around the town, a non-competitive Festival of cycling and the second Fakenham Film Festival focused on Norfolk films and including a short film competition. Contact Us

Active Fakenham is excited to bring outside exercise to Fakenham Town centre in the newly renovated Community Centre Garden. Low cost and suitable for beginners and improvers these classes will run through the summer All classes will take place in the Courtyard Garden FAKENHAM COMMUNITY CENTRE OAK STREET, FAKENHAM NR21 9DY https://www.fakenhamcommunitycentre.org.uk/ Enquiries should be made to the course leader not the Community Centre or Active Fakenham Fay Platten, will be offering, Fitness Pilates for Beginners Fay says Practicing under the open sky in the fresh air and sunshine can elevate your mood and energise your body. Enjoy the outdoor setting as you work on your core strength, flexibility, posture and well-being. Maria Fenn will be offering The Outdoor Well-being Workout Maria says Research shows that exercising outdoors can lower stress, improve mood, enhance focus, and even boost immune function. With that in mind, this class will be a mix of movement, strength, and relaxation, all designed to leave people feeling energised and refreshed. Book direct with Fay or Maria, or find out more directly from Fay or Maria