The Church in the Dale Charity Festival
More than forty exhibitors, and hundreds of visitors, enjoyed the second Church in the Dales Charity Festival which took place last weekend (July 5th) at Pateley Bridge Showground.
Local, national and international charities took up the invitation from the churches in the Nidderdale Area to take part in ther exhibition, as well as raise money and awareness for their work. Throughout the afternoon there was live music from a brass band, a children's band and a folk group.
The Festival was organised by the Church in the Dale, an ecumenical alliance between the Anglican parishes of Upper and Mid Nidderdale, the Methodist Circuit of Pateley Bridge, the Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady Immaculate Pateley Bridge and the United Reformed Church at Dacre.
One of the organising team, Constance Hutchin said, “We wanted to celebrate and give thanks for the amazing amount of effort people of this area provide for many charities. Volunteers offer 
practical help and support for the vulnerable and those in need. They raise money and promote their cause, they protect the environment, care for animals and many, many more tasks.
“The Charity Festival gives them all an opportunity to show the public what they do, to encourage others to join in the work, and to raise money.”