Ocean Road Mela, South Shields August 2023

We are organising a Mela for South Shields that will take place on Sunday 20th August 2023 in Ocean Road from 12pm til 6pm

We need to raise £5,000 to make it happen and we'd like your help to do it.

Who are We?

The Mela is being organised by a grass-roots collective of community organisations, local businesses, volunteers and people who love and care about the Ocean Road communities in South Shields, including the South Shields Bangladesh Welfare Association, Bangladeshi Caterers Association, Ocean Road Community Association, Sangini, CREST, CAST and South Tyneside Local Councillors with support from South Tyneside Council, The Customs House, The Cultural Spring and Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums.

What is a Mela?

A Mela is a festival for everyone that celebrates food, music and different cultures. On Sunday 21st August 2022 we organised a festival on Ocean Road that celebrated 50 years of Bangladeshi Independence in South Tyneside. It was a very very successful family event, with over 2,000 people enjoying food, music, live performances, parades, workshops, games and entertainment.

This year's event will be called the Ocean Road Mela and will celebrate all cultures, it will be for everyone to enjoy. We want to build on the success of last year and for the Mela to be a large annual grass-roots festival that in the future is led by all communities in South Shields.

(Video & photos from the 50 years of Bangladeshi Independence in South Tyneside Mela 21st August 2022)

Why do we need to raise money to make it happen this year?

The festival in 2022 cost nearly £15,000 to produce and a lot of people and organisations helped us for free or in-kind to make it happen. If we want the Mela to happen this year and become an annual event we cannot rely on getting things for free all the time.

We are going to fundraise through grant applications, sponsorship and other support but we need to raise an extra £5,000 through donations. We are asking local businesses, organisations and people who live in the area (and beyond) to help us.

Why should I donate money?

South Shields is an amazing and exciting place and the restaurants, takeaways and fish & chip shops on Ocean Road are nationally (maybe internationally!) famous.

Getting more people to come to South Shields and celebrate what makes it so special will help boost the economy and regenerate the town, making it a better place to live and work. We also want this festival to be free for everyone to enjoy.

The response to last year's event was so good, everyone who came asked if there would be another one this year. We want to make this happen and we need your help to do it!

What will my money pay for?

Your money will help pay for:

Please share this fundraiser with as many people, organisations and businesses as possible. Help make the Ocean Road Mela a reality and help show the world what a brilliant place South Shields is!