LET'S make the summer of 2002 one to remember!That's the cry today as celebrations to mark The Queen's 50 years on the throne get underway.Golden jubilee celebrations have already started with royal tours of the West Country and the north east of England.

By Paul Geater

LET'S make the summer of 2002 one to remember!

That's the cry today as celebrations to mark The Queen's 50 years on the throne get underway.

Golden jubilee celebrations have already started with royal tours of the West Country and the north east of England.

And the big national celebration is now just a month away – and communities across Suffolk are making their plans to mark the event in style.

We've already had many applications for money towards celebrations over the jubilee weekend – but there's still time for you to make your application.

And remember that although the national celebrations for the jubilee are at the start of next month, Suffolk's big day will come six weeks later – on July 17.

That is when The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will visit the county on a tour which takes in Ipswich, Stowmarket, and Bury St. Edmunds.

*There is still time for you to enter our great Jubilee Party promotion in association with British Gas!

To help Suffolk party over the jubilee period we have £5,000 to give-away to 10 separate street parties or events to help with funding.

What's more the Evening Star and British Gas are printing 10,000 hats, flags and posters. The hats and flags will be given out to all event/street party organisers who write in and nominate their events for the £5,000 pot. We will also be printing some special Jubilee Stars to mark the occasion which will also be available over the jubilee period.

Austen Dack Evening Star Brand Manager said: "We have already had a great response to our £5,000 Jubilee Party promotion.

"It seems people all over Suffolk are organising events within their own communities."

There is still time to submit your event/street party for consideration for one of the 10 £500 grants up for grabs, although entries need to be in by this weekend at the latest.

Here's how to apply for your event's share of £5,000.

We need you to write and tell us the following:

1. Tell us where and when your event will take place.

2. Have you/are you about to receive permission for your event.

3. How many people are expected to attend.

4. Will there be any commercial gain from your event and where will the money go to.

5.Have you received the relevant go-ahead/permission from your local council, plus public liability insurance.

Send your entry to:

Evening Star £5,000 Jubilee Promotion, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN.Closing date for entries is Thursday 9th May.

The Evening Star will not be liable for any events it awards money to, winners will be decided, and notified by, our jubilee panel.

Keep reading the Evening Star to see news of your event and also to watch out for news of our great competition to win your space to see the Queen when she visits Ipswich in July!