Families and friends enjoy Elemore Family Music Festival at Sunderland's newest park

Families enjoyed a day of music and activities in Sunderland’s newest country park.

Elemore Country Park in Hetton officially opened in April 2023 after a mammoth project to transform the former golf course into a new green space for the community and visitors to enjoy.

The 61-hectare site was previously home to the once-thriving Elemore Colliery from 1825 to 1974 and then Elemore Golf Club, which closed in 2019.

To help celebrate the park, which includes a cafe and visitor centre, Elemore Family Music Festival was organised by Sunderland City Council for Saturday, August 26, with free live music and entertainment.

The Lake Poets, DENNIS and Houghton Brass Band were among those performing, while families enjoyed free activities like face painting, balloon modelling and even a drop-in circus skills workshop.

Cllr Claire Rowntree, who is deputy council leader, a Hetton ward councillor, and chair of the Elemore Project Group, said: "The first free Elemore family music festival has been a fantastic community event, where we have seen families come along to enjoy local music and family fun in the newly-transformed Elemore Country Park.

"All throughout the transformation of Elemore there has been a focus on creating a green space that will serve the community and bring people together, so I’m delighted to see that happen with this event."

The new coffee shop and garden centre at Elemore is being run by Bishopwearmouth Co-operative Community Interest Company which already runs the popular Bishopwearmouth Garden Centre and cafe in Chester Road in Sunderland city centre.

The new café employs 16 local people, including six adults with disabilities and all the profits the company generates are invested back into providing paid employment, education, training and work-based placements for adults with learning, physical and mental health needs.