The Community Connection – January edition
Welcome to the second edition of The Community Connection, our new Active Fakenham e-newsletter. In this issue, we share an overview of our exciting 2026 programme, along with profiles of two more of our valued community partners — Runners-next-the-Sea and one of our important business sponsors, Grocott & Murfit — whose support helps make so many of our activities and events possible.
We hope you find this edition interesting and inspiring, and that you’ll feel encouraged to get involved, whether by taking part in an event, volunteering, or simply spreading the word. We always welcome your feedback and ideas.
Whether you’ve been part of Active Fakenham from the very beginning or are just discovering us, this is your invitation to stay connected and be part of something positive in our town.
Thank you for being part of our growing community and for helping to make Fakenham a wonderful place to live, work, and visit.
Warm regards,
Richard Crook
Chairperson & Project Manager.
Active Fakenham
What’s On in 2026
Active Fakenham’s Biggest Year Yet
Active Fakenham is excited to share an overview of our proposed programme of community, health, wellbeing, and cultural activities for 2026. Building on the success and learning from our 2025 programme — and more than fourteen years of delivery — this year’s plans combine well-loved events with new initiatives shaped by community feedback and local need.
As a volunteer-led, not-for-profit organisation, Active Fakenham has no paid staff and no core income. This means that every pound of grant funding and sponsorship goes directly into delivering activities for the benefit of the community. Our aim remains simple: to improve the physical, mental, and social wellbeing of people living in and visiting Fakenham by creating inclusive, affordable, and enjoyable opportunities for everyone.
We work closely with local clubs, schools, charities, health organisations, community groups, and businesses to maximise impact, avoid duplication, and ensure strong outcomes. Activities are designed to be low-cost or free, helping to remove financial barriers and ensure equal access.
Our work is overseen by a volunteer steering group, with robust financial accountability. Annual accounts are independently prepared and submitted to Companies House free of charge, and in the past year alone around 200 volunteers helped deliver our activities — a powerful demonstration of local commitment and community spirit.
Subject to funding partner and volunteer support, here’s what we’re planning for 2026.
Highlights of Our 2026 Programme
Staying Connected
We have launched our new monthly e-newsletter, The Community Connection. It brings together news of Active Fakenham events, local opportunities, and community activity.
Fakenham Town Guide
The much-loved Fakenham Town Guide will return in 2026, the guide remains a key source of information for residents and visitors alike. 8,000 distributed locally and available online and through social media.
Easter Sunday Town Centre Running Races Festival – 5 April 2026
Now firmly established as a major annual event, this UK Athletics-accredited festival of running continues to grow. In 2026 we will expand the running programme, introducing chip lap timing for each lap and awards for age categories. Alongside the 5K race around the town on closed roads there is a 1K fun run, and an under-5s race. With stalls, food vendors, and strong volunteer support, the event promotes health, wellbeing, and community pride while putting Fakenham firmly on the map. A chance to cheer on the runners as they complete five laps of the town centre.
Sign up now
Fakenham Riverside Community Festival – 21 June 2026
A fun-filled, affordable day out for all ages, featuring cardboard raft races, local business sponsored duck races, inflatables, live music, games, fitness activities, and stalls. Delivered in partnership with local groups such as Fakenham Rotary Club and the Ospreys Canoe Club, the festival prioritises free or low-cost activities and strong community involvement.
Fakenham Arts Festival – throughout August 2026
Following the outstanding success of FAF25, the Fakenham Arts Festival will return even bigger and bolder. With artwork displayed across more than 60 venues and contributions from over 50 artists, the festival will include:
- A town-wide art trail
- A free children’s art trail and activity pack
- Creative workshops
- Look out for new exciting initiatives yet to be unveiled
This remains a large, free arts festival celebrating creativity and inviting people to explore Fakenham in new ways.
Fakenham Film Festival - FFF26
Fakenham Film Festival October 2026 returns to Fakenham Central Cinema, with new formats, filmmaker Q&As, red-carpet events, competitions, and screenings celebrating Norfolk talent.
Entries to the competitions are now open.
Community Support
- Continued support for the Fakenham Info Hub, including noticeboards, leaflets, social media, and management of the Love Fakenham Facebook Group.
- We Loan equipment gazebos, crowd control barriers, smoothie bikes, ducks, BBQs, chairs and more. Plus we advise and mentor for local groups.
- Wellbeing activities such as garden meditation and Pilates at the Community Centre.
- Small pop-up events, school activities, guided walks, and digital projects.
- Ongoing development of our website and social media channels, which are essential to promoting local events and community life.
Ride North Norfolk – Festival of Two Wheels – 30 August 2026
A nationally promoted, non-competitive cycling event with routes from 15 to 102 miles, welcoming cyclists of all abilities. Taking place on the same day as the Arts Festival finale, it creates a vibrant, shared sense of celebration in the town.
Registrations are now open on the Active Fakenham website. Sign up now
Active Fakenham is proud to continue working alongside volunteers, partners, sponsors, and funders to deliver a programme that supports health, creativity, connection, and community pride.
We look forward to another busy and inspiring year in 2026. If you would like to sponsor our events or volunteer contact us through our website.
See a short film of our 2025 festivals
Community Partner Spotlight
Active Fakenham & Runners-next-the-Sea
Our local running club is gearing up for a busy and exciting time, with community events, beginner programmes and volunteering all high on the agenda. Runners-next-the-Sea is once again working closely with Active Fakenham to support the Fakenham Festival of Running on Easter Sunday, 5 April, where club members will provide all the event marshals for the 5K race and 1K fun run, to help ensure a safe and welcoming day for participants of all abilities.
April also sees the club delivering a new Couch to 5K course in Fakenham, aimed at complete beginners or anyone returning to running after a break. The programme is designed to be supportive and confidence-building, with qualified run leaders and encouragement from club members throughout, helping people take their first steps into running in a friendly, non-intimidating environment.
Community involvement sits at the heart of Runners-next-the-Sea, an England Athletics-affiliated club with members drawn from Wells-next-the-Sea, Fakenham and surrounding areas. In 2025, the club raised over £3,000 for East Anglian Air Ambulance, as well as more than £700 for Macmillan Cancer Support, in memory of much-loved club member Phil Longwell, who passed away in July. This strong sense of care and connection is also reflected in the club’s close ties with Holkham parkrun, a free weekly event which actively encourages walkers as well as runners. Many Runners-next-the-Sea members take part or volunteer each week, supporting the belief that getting active should be accessible to everyone, whatever their pace.
Whether it’s marshalling at local events, supporting new runners through Couch to 5K, fundraising for good causes or simply turning up for a friendly Monday night run, Runners-next-the-Sea continues to play an active and positive role in the local community.
Runners-next-the-Sea – affectionately known as RntS (pronounced runts!) – welcomes runners of all ages and abilities, from those just starting out to experienced distance and ultra runners. Training takes place every Monday evening throughout the year, led by qualified coaches and run leaders. During the summer months, sessions take place on Holkham beach or in Holkham Park, by kind permission of Holkham Estate. Members also organise social runs, offering relaxed opportunities to run at an easy, chatty pace.
For more information or to get involved, follow @RunnersNTS on Facebook and Instagram, visit website, or email clubsecretary@rnts.co.uk. Watch video of Easter 2025
Souvenir Bags
Pick up one of our eco-friendly, plastic free, biodegradable Jute bags.
Available from the Larder, Benbow’s and the Central Cinema Fakenham
Only £4.95
Business Partner Spotlight
Grocott and Murfit and Active Fakenham collaborating to make a positive impact within our community
Grocott and Murfit is a trusted, local Fakenham-based luxury building contractor, established in 2007 and renowned for creating beautifully crafted spaces of the highest quality. Specialising in high-end renovations, extensions, new builds, barn conversions and commercial properties, Grocott and Murfit combines traditional building expertise with exceptional attention to detail.
Every project is approached with the same commitment to craftsmanship and care. From carefully selected materials to time-honoured building techniques, quality is placed above all else, resulting in homes that are not only visually impressive, but a pleasure to live in. Each space is thoughtfully designed and expertly built to be enjoyed for generations.
Known for being professional, friendly and approachable, Grocott and Murfit places collaboration at the heart of everything they do. The team works closely with clients from concept to completion, ensuring the journey of creating a dream home is as rewarding as the final result.
Beyond their projects, Grocott and Murfit is proud to support the local community. They work collaboratively with Active Fakenham on community initiatives and provide quarterly donations to help support their ongoing work, reinforcing their commitment to giving back locally.
🚴Ride North Norfolk 2026🚴
Registrations Now Open!
Registration is now open for Ride North Norfolk 2026, Active Fakenham’s popular Festival of Two Wheels, taking place on Sunday 30 August 2026.
This non-competitive cycling event welcomes riders of all abilities, with routes ranging from 15 miles to 102 miles, offering a fantastic opportunity to enjoy the beautiful North Norfolk countryside in a supportive, well-organised, and friendly environment.
Whether you’re a seasoned cyclist looking for a longer challenge or a leisure rider wanting a relaxed ride, Ride North Norfolk is about participation, enjoyment, and community spirit.
We look forward to welcoming riders back to Fakenham for another great day on two wheels!
Stronger Together
We don’t do this alone. Active Fakenham works side by side with brilliant local businesses and community groups to make great things happen.
Each month in The Community Connection, we’ll shine a light on one business and one community group, celebrating the partnerships that keep Fakenham active, connected and thriving.
