It’s all systems go for next month’s Hebden Bridge Handmade Parade thanks to a £27,400 cash boost.

The Big Lottery Fund’s Awards for All has given a £10,000 grant to help develop the parade workshops and outreach skills sessions.

The Big Lottery Fund distributes half of the National Lottery good cause funding across the UK. The Fund is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need.

The parade has also received a £9,900 Grants for the Arts from Arts Council England, which is Lottery funded, to help make the workshops and parade open to as many people as possible.

Grassroots Calderdale, through the Community Foundation for Calderdale, has awarded a £5,000 grant; Calderdale’s Small Grants scheme has given £1,500 to help make the parade unmissable, and a further £1,000 grant has been given by the Co-operative Bank’s Customer Donation Fund, which makes awards to Community Directplus account holders to support special projects they are organising.

The grants mean the new not-for-profit parade organisation can ensure the workshops, procession and party in the park can build on the success of the previous two years and involve as many people as possible.

Handmade Parade 2009
Photo: HebWeb

Parade Co-ordinator Rebecca Dearden said: “This is our first year of organising the workshops, outreach and parade, so it was really important that we put on a fantastic show. As a not-for-profit organisation, we rely on grants and donations. So, to get these five awards is fantastic. We are extremely grateful to all our funders.

“It’s going to be an amazing parade — and the more people who come along the better it will be. It’s an event for everyone in the area, whether they want to take part in the procession, the pageant or the workshops, or simply cheer us on!”

The community-generated parade, led by local artists, celebrates the creativity, variety and uniqueness of the area. The event takes place at 2pm on Saturday, June 26.

The theme of this year’s parade and open workshops will be Hop, Skip and a Jump — a celebration of journeys real and imaginary.

Workshops will be held from June 5 to 24 in Hebden Bridge and will be open to absolutely anyone who wants to get involved in creating parade art, giant puppets or costumes. There will also be special classes for older children and adults who want to get stuck into a new skill — from stilt-walking to making willow sculptures.

The previous two parades, with the themes of a Deluge of Delights and the Glorious Garden Party, were hugely successful. Hundreds of people took part and thousands lined the parade route to cheer on the procession of giant puppets and clever animatronics, and, of course, to marvel at their friends and neighbours wearing stunning costumes.

Organisers are still keen to recruit more volunteers to help with stewarding or carrying giant puppets on the big day. For more details about the parade go to www.hebdenbridgeparade.org

Handmade Parade 2008
Photo: HebWeb