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£25,000 boost for Meet
Feb 8, 2010
THE organisers of Barnard Castle Meet are celebrating after being given £25,000 worth of equipment.
And the Meet committee has revealed that a circus from Blackpool may add a new dimension to this year’s events.
North Pennines Dale Leader, which gives cash to community causes, has provided three marquees, a generator and a PA system for the Meet.
The equipment will be used during the annual town carnival, which takes place during the Whit Bank Holiday weekend.
It will also be hired out to local groups at other times of the year – at a “heavily reduced rate”.
Meet treasurer Angela Grady said cash raised from the enterprise will help to cover costs of putting on the popular show, which includes everything from rubber-chicken throwing to fancy dress parades.
Mrs Grady said: “It’s absolutely fantastic and will help secure this historic event for the future.
“This new equipment will cut significant costs to our Whit carnival and we’ve already got many bookings from other groups.”
Sue Ellwood, project co-ordinator with the Dales Leader, said: “We consider the Meet part of the cultural heritage of Teesdale and it brings a lot of people to the area.
“We want to give our support and help make sure it keeps on going.”
Meet secretary Thom Robinson thanked Barnard Castle YMCA and Teesdale Community Resources for “helping to pull it off”.
“It really goes to show what can happen when you all just get your heads together,” he said.
However, Mrs Grady said the Meet still needed to fundraise for this year’s event.
She said: “With the economic climate as it is, we haven’t done our annual calendar this year because we didn’t want to put pressure on businesses. But it’s getting increasingly difficult to organise the Meet and fulfilling the health and safety regulations means we have less time for fundraising.”
But organisers said they hope this year’s carnival will be the biggest and best yet, with plans for puppet workshops and live music as well as the circus.
The Meet’s new equipment is available to hire from the spring
and bookings are being taken now.
For more information about this or about the carnival, call 07855 805495 or visit the website www.barnardcastlemeet.org.uk