Jarrow Festival 'set to be bigger than ever' for 2020 as organisers celebrate £10,000 lottery cash

The Jarrow Festival has been awarded £9,950 in lottery funding to help pay for event, which organisers say will be broadened out to include more activities.

The festival celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2018, and the 10-day event in 2019 saw thousands of people taking part in scores of activities.

Roy Merrin, chairman of the festival committee, said lottery funding meant the 32nd festival is set to be one of the most ambitious yet, bringing together grassroots organisations to deliver a 10-day programme of activities in Jarrow.

“We’re delighted that The National Lottery Community Fund has recognised our work in this way,” he said.

“Now, thanks to National Lottery players we will be able to press on with our plans to broaden the range of activities available to our communities in Jarrow across festival week.

“This is important because it raises the profile of Jarrow, celebrates community pride and spirit of our communities,raises the profile of the area, bringing in people from the wider South Tyneside area and beyond and thus supporting local businesses.”

Mr Merrin said the lottery cash will be used to host events across the week in Bilton Hall Trust, Perth Green Community Centre and Hedworthfield Community Centre and will also support in the development of the finale event across the sites of Jarrow Hall and St Paul’s Church.

The festival celebrates the communities of Jarrow, the towns past, present and future.

Jarrow Hall Anglo Saxon Farm and Bede Museum, and the historic St Paul’s Church are among the organisations which take part.

Sports, special food nights, church tours, history presentations, children’s activities, crafts, cream teas and dances were all on the programme last year, and visitors are set to be able to enjoy even more this year.

This year’s events will take place across the town from Saturday May 22 to Monday May 31 2019