ROKER PARK PROVIDES the open air venue for a programme of free community events.
With financial support from the Community Chest Funds of the St Peter’s ward councillors on Sunderland City Council’s North Area Committee, the Friends of Roker Park voluntary group has organised a series of live music and theatre performances.
The mixture of live music and Shakespeare is designed to encourage even more people into the historic, award-winning park in the hope that they will become regular visitors.
Live music will be performed from the bandstand one Sunday every month, beginning this Sunday (14 June) with the North Tyneside Steel Band 2 – 4pm.
Following this weekend, it becomes the first Sunday of the month 2-4pm;
5 July – Pipe Dream (local band)
2 August – Briggantee (local band)
6 September – Salvation Army Brass Band.
The funding is also supporting Theatre Space North East to deliver four evening performances of Hamlet in the park on 2, 3, 4 and 5 July at 7.00pm.
Speaking on behalf of the North Area Committee as ward member for St Peter’s, Councillor Julia Jackson said: “Voluntary groups like the Friends of Roker Park play a massive part in the life of our community, and the ward councillors and North Area Committee are happy to support them.
“I’d like to thank the Friends Group for organising this fantastic outdoor entertainment over the summer months and hope everyone comes along to enjoy them.”
The Friends of Roker were set up more than ten years ago, and with the support of Sunderland City Council they work with other community partners to provide an even wider range of events and activities within the park and support its environmental upkeep.
Chair of The Friends of Roker Park, Ed Foster added: “We are all committed to protecting and promoting our wonderful park, socialising and meeting regularly to discuss the best ways to achieve this and how to raise money to arrange more events.
“Working with groups like CEED (Community Environmental Education Development) we try to provide a range of outdoor activities here in the park, which will encourage even more people to become regular visitors. Local schools are always keen to get involved, with things like planting and singing Christmas Carols in the park particularly popular.
“There is always something going on, and hopefully this programme of music and drama can help focus attention on the bandstand as one of the many environmental and cultural attractions within the grounds of Roker Park.”
