May 12 2007

By The Journal
 

This year's Newcastle Green Festival will be the biggest yet thanks to a funding boost by National Express.

The event, now in its 13th year, is due to be held on June 9-10 in Leazes Park, Newcastle, and will be the final event in a week of activities to celebrate UN World Environment Week.

Newcastle Community Green Festival is the UK's leading free music and environmental festival with an estimated audience of up to 15,000 people.

Festival co-ordinator Alison Black, said: "We are delighted by this generous offer. This is our biggest ever single source of sponsorship and means that we can now expand the range of activities we intend to hold this year. The festival gives a lot of enjoyment to thousands of people and is a fun way of raising awareness about lots of environmental issues. This year we can promise a great day out for everyone."

Joy Williams, of National Express, said: "National Express takes its green credentials very seriously so we are delighted to support this excellent event. We have been sponsors of Newcastle's Don't Bin It - Win It! recycling lottery for the last 18 months and we see this as a natural extension of our support for that scheme. National Express hopes that this sponsorship will help make the 2007 Green Festival the biggest and best ever."

This year's event will feature over 60 local bands, acoustic acts, DJs, dancers and entertainers.

It will showcase the best products on the green energy market with all six music stages being powered by a range of different renewables.

There will be over 50 stalls and free yoga, martial arts, dance, circus skills and sporting activities plus taster sessions of complementary healing therapies.

The event will close with a spectacular fire show.

Event organiser Phil Capon said: "Visitors can expect a fantastic musical line-up and a whole host of other entertaining, educational experiences."