Morecambe Town Council has awarded a grant of £3,000 to Bare Community Association in support of three events taking place in the village this year.
The first, Barefest, takes over the centre of Bare on Saturday 14 June. The Summer carnival-style event includes live music and entertainment, food and drink stalls and various competitions either side of a big community parade at 12.30pm. The event also features the inauguration of the Lord Mayor of Bare – a historic tradition that dates back to 1910 when Bare formed its own local council – and the recognition of a local hero as nominated by residents of Bare.
Bare Remembers then takes place on Remembrance Sunday (9 November) at the War Memorial on Princes Crescent. A secular service of music, readings and poetry offer a more local alternative to Morecambe’s main Remembrance service at the cenotaph, which is particularly appreciated by older Bare residents faced with mobility or transport issues.
Finally, Christmas on the Crescent returns on Saturday 29 November. Princes Crescent gets decked out in Christmas lights and plays host to a variety of stalls, in addition to the Princes Crescent businesses. It is an ideal opportunity to pick up some early Christmas gifts to a background of live music and other seasonal entertainment. The popular Christmas Pet Fancy Dress Competition also makes a return along with a Santa-themed Treasure Hunt and Mayoral fundraising challenges.
Back row (L-R): Cllrs John Livermore, Geoff Knight, Russell Walsh and Lee Bradbury
Front row (L-R): Stuart Snow (BCA Event Team), Ray Stallwood (BCA Vice Chair), Kate Hackett (BCA Treasurer) and Tony Griesel (BCA Event Team)
Marisa Seddon, chair of Bare Community Association, said: ‘I would like to thank Morecambe Town Council on behalf of the Bare Community Association, our members – both resident and business – and the local and wider communities of this area. Without this grant, and those given in previous years, we, as a non-profit organisation run entirely by volunteers, would not be able to run our events in the way that we do.’
Lee Bradbury, Chairperson of Morecambe Town Council’s Festivals, Sponsorships and Events Committee, said, ‘As well as supporting large scale festivals and events that bring in thousands of visitors, the Town Council is here to support smaller scale, hyper-local events such as those put on by Bare Community Association. Being organised collaboratively by local individuals and businesses, these types of event play an important part in fostering community spirit and a sense of shared local pride. It would be great to see similar events taking place in other parts of Morecambe with their own distinct identities and we’d encourage anyone considering it to look at the work of Bare Community Association as a good example.’