Parky in the Park: Lincolnshire venue to host young-onset Parkinson’s festival

People with young-onset Parkinson’s and their loved ones are invited to a new micro-festival being held at eco-friendly camping and events venue The Big Sky Hideaway near Boston.

Organised in collaboration with Parkinson’s UK and the Young Onset Collective Activity Group, Parky in the Parky will bring together people living with  the condition, experts in Parkinson’s research, wellbeing workshops, technology demonstrations, and Parkinson’s UK Local Advisers. The packed agenda also features non-Parkinson’s specific workshops and acts including bushcraft, creative arts, live music, comedy, a silent disco - plus the chance to feed alpacas! 

Parky in the Park is primarily aimed at people living with Young Onset Parkinson’s (YOPD) or those of working age (aged under 65), although everyone living with the condition and their loved ones are welcome. A diagnosis before the age of 50 is considered to be YOPD , and around 14,500 people live with YOPD in the UK. 

Parky in the Park opens on Friday June 26 at 4pm and closes at 2pm on Sunday June  28 at The Big Sky Hideaway, Timberholme, North Forty Foot Bank, Brothertoft, PE20 3SU. Weekend and Saturday day tickets are available, with prices starting from £50 per adult and £20 per child. 

Off-grid campsite Big Sky Hideaway is owned by Emms Cornthwaite, who lives with Young-Onset Parkinson’s, and her husband Dave. 

In 2024, on her 37th birthday, Emms received a letter confirming a Parkinson’s diagnosis. She took to the internet to find others like her, and soon found a supportive online group of strangers, all affected by the condition. Emms said: “In May last year, we invited that online young onset Parkinson’s community and the local Parkinson’s UK team for a YOPD Gathering at our campsite Big Sky Hideaway for an afternoon of tea, cake and getting to know each other. Around 30 people attended from all over the UK - from Scotland to Devon! Some just visited for the afternoon, some came alone, others brought their families and enjoyed camping for the weekend. 

“It was such a positive event filled with hope and optimism that everyone went away wanting more events in the future and well, here we are!” “I’d love for more younger people with Parkinson’s to join us, whether that’s attending for the day or making a weekend of it. Please take a look on our website for more information or get in touch with Parkinson’s UK’s Area Development Manager for the Midlands, Eleanor Halford if you have any questions.”

Parky in the Park tickets are available to purchase via the Big Sky Hideaway website: https://bigskyhideaway.com/parky-in-the-park Here you will also find details of the onsite facilities and accommodation options.

For any questions about the event, contact Eleanor Halford, Area Development Manager - Midlands at Parkinson’s UK at [email protected]

Parkinson's is a complex brain condition that gets worse over time. It has more than 40 symptoms, from tremor and pain to anxiety, and there is no cure. Someone is diagnosed with Parkinson’s in the UK every 20 minutes and by 2050, the number of people living with the condition worldwide will double to 25 million. 

Parkinson’s UK is the leading European funder of Parkinson’s research and here to support every Parkinson’s journey, every step of the way. For information and support, visit parkinsons.org.uk or call the charity’s free, confidential helpline on 0808 800 0303.