Businesses getting behind Whitley Bay Carnival

Businesses are getting behind this year’s Whitley Bay Carnival.
Parade director Richard Broderick with the first Whitley Bay Carnival raffle tickets  on sale at participating venues in the town.Parade director Richard Broderick with the first Whitley Bay Carnival raffle tickets  on sale at participating venues in the town.
Parade director Richard Broderick with the first Whitley Bay Carnival raffle tickets on sale at participating venues in the town.

More than £1,000 worth of prizes have been donated for the new carnival raffle.

Money raised from the sale of tickets is helping ensure more activities can take place at this year’s event.

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SALTo co-director and lead artist Richard Broderick said: “Every year we rely on the generous donations, sponsorship and support in kind from local traders and the hundreds of hours of time from residents.

“People get involved with all sorts, from building the parade structures and making costumes to stewarding, delivering posters and putting the flags up.

“The raffle seemed like a good way to involve more people and help raise funds to cover costs of the extra day this year.

“It’s been great to walk through the town getting to know more of the shop owners and see what’s on offer.

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“Our core team all live in the town, but I don’t think any of us realised just how much variety we have on our doorstep.

“Everyone from high end interiors stockists like Humphrey’s tucked away in Roxburgh House to the family barbers Kutz in Park View, and great food shops like Pure Knead and Nicholson’s, has joined in.”

This year’s carnival kicks off on Friday, May 24, with Bombskare and runs until 5pm on Sunday, May 26.

The raffle tickets are selling at participating venues across the town and the raffle will be drawn at the carnival on Sunday, at 5pm.

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Whitley Bay’s carnival was brought back to the town by Whitley Bay Big Local in 2014 in response to a local consultation.

Produced by SALTo Arts Productions in partnership with WB Big Local and New Prospects Association, the carnival features almost 2,000 volunteers from the marshals to the costumed promenaders in the parade.

Carnival clubs reopen in local schools after the Easter break and are open to all, with the big promenade pieces already taking shape.

For more information check out the website www.whitleybaycarnival.co.uk, see Facebook @whitleybaycarnival or join the facebook group @whitleybaycommunitycarnival