Sunderland party in park set to go with a swing

Robots and family fun at Barnes Park.
New Silksworth Academy children from left Kieron Lock, Katie Corner, Connor Pichard and Natalie Head with Coun Peter Gibson and Youth Almighty Project Joanne Laverick — Robots and family fun at Barnes Park. New Silksworth Academy children from left Kieron Lock, Katie Corner, Connor Pichard and Natalie Head with Coun Peter Gibson and Youth Almighty Project Joanne Laverick

Barnes Park is set to hold the annual West Area community celebration on Saturday, July 1.

Youngsters from New Silksworth Academy went along to the park to get a taste of what will be on offer.

Robots and family fun at Barnes Park.
New Silksworth Academy children from left Natalie Head, Connor Pichard, Kieron Lock and Katie Corner with Coun Peter Gibson and Youth Almighty Project Joanne Laverick — Robots and family fun at Barnes Park. New Silksworth Academy children from left Natalie Head, Connor Pichard, Kieron Lock and Katie Corner with Coun Peter Gibson and Youth Almighty Project Joanne Laverick

The free family fun day - focussing on all things science, engineering and the environment - is the culmination of the three day event involving all the local nursery, primary and junior schools.

Visitors to the event will enter through an oversized replica model of a miner’s Davy Lamp, reflecting this year’s theme and celebrating Sunderland’s history of technological innovation.

Once into the park there will be a huge range of activities and displays for everyone to get involved in, to explore their own scientific, engineering and environmental skills and knowledge.

There will also be a full programme of live music from the bandstand at the event, which will be on from 10am to 3.30pm, with everything from choirs and singers, to dance, local groups and seven-piece bands.

Robots and family fun at Barnes Park.
New Silksworth Academy children from left Katie Corner, Natalie Head, Kieron Lock and Connor Pichard — Robots and family fun at Barnes Park. New Silksworth Academy children from left Katie Corner, Natalie Head, Kieron Lock and Connor Pichard

The annual event is funded by the West Area Committee, with additional support provided this year from the local Youth Almighty Project with an external grant from the Big Lottery’s Celebrate Fund.

Schoolchildren from the area will go along to the first two days of the event on Thursday and Friday, before the family fun day on Saturday.

Councillor Peter Gibson, chairman of the West Area Committiee, said: “Our annual community celebration event has become increasingly popular, and I hope this year will be the most successful yet.

“This year’s theme has been chosen to inspire children to discover more about our shared industrial heritage, and encourage them to develop their own skills and talents.

“They can take part in scientific experiments to make rockets and slime, build your own bridge, grow your own plant and find out more about Sunderland’s amazing history in science and engineering.”

On the Saturday there will be science experiments, meccano, inventions, crafts, sports, illustrators, full music programme at the bandstand , face painting, food stalls and much, much more including a fun fair.