Residents get on their bikes for 'Tour de Yorkshire'

THE bunting is up in Leeming Bar ahead of the Tour De Yorkshire this weekend, but a grant from Broadacres has ensured this is no ordinary bunting!

People living in the village wanted to go a step further when planning a way to mark the Tour coming through the village on Saturday.

In January this year, a group called the Leeming Bar Crafters was formed and over the last four months they have been busy knitting, sewing and crocheting bunting to put up in the village.

An incredible 600 metres of homemade bunting now adorns the route the cyclists will take when they enter Leeming Bar from Bedale.

And it has all been made possible thanks to generous local donations and a grant of £166 from Broadacres Housing Association’s Community Development Fund.

Jackie Kennedy, a member of the Leeming Bar Crafters, said: “When we knew the Tour de Yorkshire was coming, we were not about to let it pass through Leeming Bar without marking it in some way.

“We wanted to do something unique, so decided to knit, sew or crochet all our bunting, and we couldn’t be happier with the result. It has been well worth the hard work we put in.

“There are around 25 people involved in the Leeming Bar Crafters and as well as joining together to do something very worthwhile for the village, it has also helped to form new friendships and integrate people into the community, so it’s something we will definitely be continuing after the Tour de Yorkshire.

“We couldn’t have done this without the support of Broadacres and we would like to thank the Association for its donation.”

Broadacres’ Community Development Fund provides grants totalling £12,000 each year (up to £500 per project), with all applications and awards being determined by a panel of Broadacres’ customers.

One of the Broadacres residents who sits on the panel which approved the Leeming Bar Crafters grant was Rosemary Colebrook, who visited the village to see the bunting for herself.

She said: “We were very intrigued when we reviewed the grant application as it is very different and having seen the work for myself, it’s safe to say we definitely made the right decision in awarding this grant; the bunting looks fantastic.

“It was also lovely to hear how joining the group has helped to forge new friendships and made the integration into the community much easier for newer residents.”

Applications for funding in 2018/19 are now being accepted and more information about the process, including an application form, is available from: https://dev.broadacres.globalizeme-dublin2.co.uk/customer-area/getting-involved/community-development-fund/