This week’s Wednesday Wisdom comes from Gemma Hyde, who leads marketing and community events at Castle Quarter – a vibrant, mixed‑use destination in the heart of Norwich where retail, leisure, food and community experiences come together under one roof.
Gemma plays a key role in shaping Castle Quarter as more than a shopping centre. With five lively levels and a constantly evolving programme of free family activities, pop‑up events and immersive experiences, the destination is designed to reflect and serve the needs of its community. At its core, Castle Quarter is about connection – creating a welcoming place people return to time and time again, always with a reason to visit.
For Gemma, the foundation of any successful family event is the feeling it creates. She starts by focusing on how families will experience the day – ensuring it feels welcoming, safe and full of joy before building activities around those principles. When children leave smiling, parents feel relaxed, and families head home with memories they’ll talk about long after the event, that’s when she knows it’s been a success.
Strong community partnerships are central to her approach. Gemma looks for collaborators who share Castle Quarter’s values – charities, schools and creative organisations that are passionate about positive community impact. Built on trust, shared purpose and collaboration, these partnerships allow events to feel authentic, inclusive and genuinely beneficial for everyone involved.
Running free community events comes with its challenges, particularly maintaining a high‑quality experience without creating barriers for families. Gemma overcomes this through thoughtful planning, flexibility and close collaboration with trusted local partners. One standout example saw Castle Gardens transformed through a partnership with Unicorn Alpaca Walks, creating a memorable and joyful experience despite the unpredictable nature of outdoor events. For Gemma, seeing families come together and feel truly welcomed makes every challenge worthwhile.
Looking ahead, Gemma hints at exciting plans quietly taking shape behind the scenes at Castle Quarter. Working alongside Kim Dodd from Toolbox, the team is developing seasonal programmes inspired by summer and much‑loved festive traditions. While details are still under wraps, one thing remains certain – there’s always something special on the way, and always a reason to visit Castle Quarter.
Tell us more about the Castle Quarter?
“Located in the heart of Norwich, Castle Quarter is far more than a traditional shopping destination. It’s a dynamic, mixed‑use centre where food, leisure, national and independent businesses sit alongside community‑led experiences, all coming together under one roof. With five vibrant levels, Castle Quarter has been designed to offer something for everyone. Whether people are shopping, dining, watching, playing or simply spending time together, there’s a real sense of creativity and energy throughout the building. From free family activities and engaging pop‑up events to immersive leisure experiences and welcoming places to eat and socialise, the destination continues to evolve in ways that reflect the needs of its community. At its heart, Castle Quarter is about connection. It’s a place where people come together, return to time and time again and where there’s genuinely always a reason to visit”
What’s the key ingredient that makes a family event successful – and where do you start?
“For me, it always starts with creating moments that families genuinely take away with them. The kind of moments children talk about on the way home and parents remember fondly long after the day itself. If children are smiling from ear to ear, parents feel comfortable enough to relax, and everyone feels welcomed and included, then you know you’re on the right track. That sense of connection is what turns an event from something people attend into something they truly experience. I always begin by thinking about how the event will feel welcoming, safe and full of joy before building the activities around that. When families leave happy, engaged and just a little tired from having such a great day, that’s when you know an event has really worked.”
How do you choose the right community partners for events?
“For me, the strongest partnerships always begin with shared values. I look for charities, schools and creative organisations who genuinely care about their community and are passionate about making a positive difference. When there’s a shared purpose and a real desire to work collaboratively, those relationships quickly become something much more meaningful. It’s built on trust, mutual respect and a clear understanding of what we want to achieve together. By partnering with people who are as committed to families and community impact as we are, we’re able to create events that feel authentic, inclusive and truly beneficial for everyone involved.”
What’s the biggest challenge with running free community events, and how do you solve it?
“One of the biggest challenges is ensuring events remain completely free while still delivering a high‑quality, inclusive experience that feels genuinely valuable for families. Striking that balance isn’t always easy, but it’s exactly why getting community events right matters so much. We overcome this by working closely with trusted local partners, planning carefully, and staying focused on what really counts creating shared experiences that families can enjoy together without barriers. Strong partnerships, flexibility and attention to detail all play a vital role.
A great example was our collaboration with Unicorn Alpaca Walks in Suffolk in the Castle Gardens, where we welcomed alpacas, horses and a range of other small animals into the space. The event attracted a large number of visitors and created a real sense of excitement and community. Like any outdoor event, managing crowd numbers and adapting to unpredictable weather presented challenges, but remaining flexible and solution‑focused is key. Every event comes with its own set of challenges, but that’s also what makes the work so rewarding. Seeing families come together, enjoy something special and feel truly welcomed makes all the planning and problem‑solving worthwhile.”
What family event or community initiative are you most excited about next at Castle Quarter?
“That’s a tricky one, as I can’t give too much away just yet. What I can say is that some really exciting plans are quietly coming together behind the scenes.
Working closely with Kim Dodd from Toolbox, Castle Quarter’s external marketing team, we’ve been shaping a programme that brings seasonal moments to life across the centre. We’re exploring ideas inspired by summer, with subtle coastal influences, and when the time is right, we’ll also be welcoming back some much‑loved Christmas magic complete with a few familiar faces set to return!
For now, all I’ll say is this: there’s always a reason behind what we do, and something special is on the way. As always, the big reveals will be shared on the Castle Quarter website and our social channels, so keep an eye out.”
Follow the Castle Quarter on both Instagram and Facebook to learn about more amazing upcoming events in Norfolk.
