Thousands of people commit to support Rotherham Day
THOUSANDS of people have already committed their support to a special day of celebration in Rotherham.
Rotherham Day aims to bring the entire borough together, including communities, schools, businesses, sports clubs, charities and faith groups, to share all that is good about the town on September 18.
Organiser Scott Thorpe, chief executive of TMG Mortgage Network, told a New York Stadium gathering: “Rotherham Day is about whatever you want it to be. Whatever ideas you have we can help you. The more we all work together the more you will all benefit, and it is all about being proud of being from Rotherham.”
Already planned are:
- a baton relay for which more than 70 schools have signed up to take part
- wristbands enabling free summer access for children to the four Places for People Leisure centres in Maltby, Aston, Wath and Rotherham
- history tours across the town
- a 10k charity run
- the release of a Rotherham song
- the Pride of Rotherham Awards,
- the launch of Rotherham TV, and
- a special beer created by Chantry Brewery.
Free sessions at boxing and sports clubs will also be on offer, there will be a non-uniform day on which everyone in schools and workplaces wears red, all monuments in the town will be lit up and a school poetry competition will take place.
Other plans include a sponsored walk and afternoon tea at Winthrop Gardens, sensory walks and events, a 12-hour sponsored karaoke, and 64 businesses representing thousands of employees have agreed to take part.
Rotherham Council cabinet member for communities Cllr Sarah Allen said the town had plenty to shout about and Rotherham Day was the ideal time to do it.
“We are one of the top three authorities in the country for our road repairs and maintenance programme, we have over 20,000 council houses in the borough which makes us one of the top 20 providers in the country for social housing, and we have just finished building our 800th new home in four years,” she said, adding that other achievements included the development of Forge Island, the new markets and libraries complex and completing a year as the world’s first Children’s Capital of Culture.
St Bernard’s School Year 9 student ambassadors Harriet Jenkinson and Kieran Chibaya talked about ideas they had including a red colour run at Herringthorpe Playing Fields, a red food event and a quiz centred around the town’s monuments.
David Woodward said there would be free coaching sessions at Rotherham Hockey Club, which has members ranging from five-years-old to 70, and Emma Sharp told of the opportunities offered by Unity Boxing Centre and the other five affiliated clubs in the borough.
Organisers called for the town to pull together to create a legacy for future generations, and Rotherham United honorary life president John Breckin, who played more than 400 games for the Millers, said the aim was for the event to become bigger and better each year.
“The energy and support we have already seen from across our community has been truly incredible. This is all about coming together and celebrating just how much is already happening across the borough.
“It started out as an idea just to get everyone in the town to wear red, or dress their schools, homes or businesses up in red, but there are already some amazing events planned for the day when we will all get together and paint the town red,” he said.
Former Rotherham Advertiser editor Andrew Mosley said: “It hasn’t always felt as if the town was ready to move on from problems going right back to the closure of the mines and steelworks, the ensuing unemployment and poverty, and, of course, the child exploitation scandal that put Rotherham on the world map for all the wrong reasons.
“The time to change that is now. There’s a lot to be proud of in Rotherham and everyone needs to join together, seize the narrative and work towards a positive future.”
Find out more at the Rotherham Day website at rotherhamday.co.uk and follow on Instagram, Facebook, X, YouTube, LinkedIn and TikTok.