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Swindon Wide                                    WHAT’S ON  SWINDON

                                                                   Swindon Mela returns to Old Town

                                                                   Gardens after three year hiatus




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                Lottery                             4               Swindon Mela in 2013 held in the Old Town Gardens Bowl



                                                                                               day.
                                                                   Swindon awards in April this year,
                A chance to win, a way to care                     After receiving two Pride of   need of volunteers to assist on the
                                                                   the Swindon Mela organising team   Sponsorship and partnering
                Registered with the Gambling Commission
                                         Registered Charity Number: 280093  has announced that one of the   opportunities are also available. If
                                                                   town’s best attended events will   you or your organisation would like
                                                                   again take place in Town Gardens   to participate in the Mela contact
                                                                   in Old Town on Saturday 13 August.  [email protected] for more
        Link Magazine ad March 2015.indd   1               13/03/2015   14:19:15               information and application forms.
                                                                    Entertainment at the festival
                                                                   includes dancing displays and   Plans for the 2016 Mela include
                                                                   music as well as food stalls.  more performances by local artists
                                                                    Sonny Hamid, of the Mela   especially the younger generation.
                                                                   planning committee said: “The   Mela are also planning to include
                                                                   planning process over the past   professional head-line acts with
                                                                   year has been very challenging   all of the performances happening
                                                                   with many small and large issues   in the Bowl area of the Old Town
                                                                   that have had to be faced but   Gardens, which should help to
                                                                   we are pleased to say that with   reduce crowding.
                                                                   much hard work by the team and   “As always, we are continuing our
                                                                   positive contribution by all of our   efforts to ensure the event is an
                                                                   stakeholders, we have managed   environmentally-friendly one and
                                                                   to overcome all hurdles that   are actively seeking ways of making
                                                                   confronted us and we continue to   this year’s Mela even greener.”
                                                                   make good progress on all fronts.  added Sonny.
                                                                    “Our team has been enlarged by   “Typically, we are working
                                                                   the appointment of a new event   together with Thamesdown
                                                                   manager Duncan Thompson from   Transport and actively discouraging
                                                                   Production78 who is an extremely   the use of cars to access the event.
                                                                   experienced professional with much   We will be promoting the use of
                                                                   know-how gained from managing   public transport which passes close
                                                                   several other Melas and specialist   to the entrance.
                                                                   events in other parts of the UK.  “We are also advertising the use
                                                                    “With his assistance and advice   of the Park & Ride facilities at
                                                                   we have made rapid progress in   Wroughton which offer excellent
                                                                   preparing a new and more efficient   bus connections to Old Town.
                                                                   Safety and Security Management   “As the last Swindon Mela took
                                                                   Plan all of which has aided us   place in 2013, we’re hoping to see
                                                                   immensely in getting the 2016   great turnout at the 2016 event.”
                                                                   Mela off to a promising start.”  For more information on the
                                                                    The Mela team have been taking   Swindon Mela 2016, visit their
                                                                   applications from local businesses   Facebook page: www.facebook.
                                                                   and groups to host stalls and   com/The-Swindon-Mela
                                                                   activities, but the event is still in
            26   swindonlink.com n August 2016



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