Hundreds of people celebrated their estate in a day which aimed to strengthen the community.

Up to 300 Pensioners, parents, teenagers and children of the Ninefields estate in Waltham Abbey bridged their age gaps to come together for a day of fun on Wednesday.

Children were fascinated as they held owls from the Epping Forest Owl and Hawk Sanctuary, soon to be released back into the wild, and had their faces painted as all manner of other animals.

Others were delighted with the presence of local organisations including the Hazel Wood Children’s Centre and Voluntary Action Epping Forest, which were on hand to invite people to get more involved in the local area.

A fire truck was also parked up for children to explore while Epping Forest District Council, which helped organise the day, asked residents what they would like to do to improve the estate at Hill House.

Jill Wallace, the council’s community development officer, said: “We couldn’t have asked for a better turnout.

“The kids really loved the owls, they were amazed. And the younger families especially got really excited about what they could achieve by joining the residents association.

“It was a lovely day. The day helped break down age barriers a bit, and everyone got to know each other a little bit better.”