[Gayle]

As a member of the Mela and Community Festival committee, obviously we're very keen for the bandstand to be rebuilt. The bandstand was burned down about a week before the Mela two years ago. We very quickly hired a stage which cost about £3,000. We were told that we would be compensated for that - that hasn't materialised.

Every year this drags on this costs a further £3,000 to the committee which means that we have less to spend on the actual programming of music acts and activities. It takes out a considerable chunk of our budget.

Last year it was the weather that scuppered us with going to the park and we had about a week to transfer everything to the Sports Centre. This year we had intended to go back to the park but the parks department of HBC informed us that the building work would be being done at the time of the Mela and so would cause problems. Reluctantly we decided to go back to the Sports Centre.

If we had known that the work was not going to be done we would, of course, have gone back to the park this year. We would still have had to pay for a stage but clearly the park is a more suitable venue for the event.

So far, the Mela committee has spent £9,000+ on bandstand facilities. It is unlikely that we will be able to continue to hold the event if the bandstand isn't rebuilt.


I know that there are a lot of people who are saying 'why rebuild it when it's just for one event a year?' but it doesn't have to be for one event - other groups/organisations could use it. I feel that if the insurance money is available for replacing the bandstand then it should be replaced.