Ferham Festival returned to Ferham Park after a break of three years, and it did not disappoint.
The festival was a celebration of the rich culture and heritage of the area with music, dance, art, sport and food.
It was fitting that the festival took place in South Asian Heritage Month.
Following on from the pandemic, it was fantastic to see the local community turn out in force to support the event.
The event was organised and funded by Rotherham United Community Sports Trust and Flux Rotherham, who were supported by the Council, Rotherfed, Rotherham Ethnic Minority Alliance, Rother Phoenix FC, South Yorkshire Police and Barnardos.
Police Community Support Officer Paul Newman did a fabulous job as compere for the festival.
There were also a number of information and activity stands with face painting and storytelling on offer.
The event attracted a number of high-profile visitors, including the Police and Crime Commissioner Dr Alan Billings, Sarah Champion MP, Cabinet Member for Community Inclusion Councillor David Sheppard and the Mayor of Rotherham Councillor Tajamal Khan.
Ferham Park was well looked after by a group of young people from this year’s National Citizen Service (NCS) programme. NCS is a youth development programme that empowers young people, aged 15-17, who get involved in a range of residential and social action activities.
Alongside supporting fundraising for local charities, the young people from the programme ensured that the park was kept spotlessly clean and disposed of litter and waste.
Rotherham West Ward Councillors attended the festival. This is what they had to say:
Councillor Ben Aveyard, Ward Councillor for Rotherham West Ward, said:
Ferham Festival showed this diverse community at its best. Ferham often gets bad press and when we see all sections of the community coming together to enjoy music, sport and food, it shows us the real Ferham and what this community has to offer.
Councillor Ian Jones, Ward Councillor for Rotherham West Ward, added:
It was an amazing day, seeing people from diverse backgrounds getting on well and enjoying their time together is wonderful. This is why events such as Ferham Festival are so important, helping to build cohesion in diverse communities and we need more of them.
Councillor Eve Keenan, Ward Councillor for Rotherham West Ward, said:
A fantastic event which brought the whole community together. It was wonderfully organised and a big thanks to the organisers and all the volunteers who worked hard to make Ferham Festival happen.
Working with you to help build communities that we can all take pride in is a priority for the Council.
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- The image shows dancers performing at Ferham Festival. Photo credit: Sam McQueen for Flux Rotherham