Be a Marra and help give the Gala a boost
Organisers of the Durham Miners’ Gala have launched a major fundraising drive on the back of the biggest ‘Big Meeting’ in decades.
More than 200,000 people packed the streets of Durham on Saturday for the first Gala since the Covid 19 pandemic.
A generation on from the colliery closures in the 1980s, more than 60 Durham miners banners and more than 50 brass bands participated.
Organisers say the cost of hosting this year’s Gala rose by more than £50,000 on 2019 and are bracing themselves for even further rises for next year.
For more than a century, the Gala was funded by the county’s working miners through their subscriptions to their trade union, the Durham Miners Association (DMA).
Today, the Gala is funded by the donation and subscription through Friends of Durham Miners Gala (FODMG) – with those who contribute known as ‘Marras’ – a Durham miners’ term for a trusted friend who can be relied on in times of need.
FODMG chair Dave Anderson, said: “This was a fantastic return for the Big Meeting and it was a Gala for the ages.
"We had more banners, more brass bands and more people than we’ve had for many years.
“The Gala is at the heart of the labour and trade union movement and of the cultural life of the county. It is also worth a fortune to the economy of the city and the region.
“Our costs are soaring and we need to build support now to fund the Gala in 2023.
"This Gala could not have happened without our Marras. No Gala could. But now we need more.
“I urge everyone who values the Gala to chip in – sign up and become one of our Marras and help ensure the Gala is even better next year.”
The 137th Durham Miners Gala will take place on Saturday, July 8, 2023.
Official Gala products, including t shirts, tote bags and enamel badges are also now available for sale online, with all proceeds to the Gala.
To join the Marras, buy Gala products or book camping, go to www.friendsofdurhamminersgala.org