Earlier this year the Durham Miners’ Association received a bill for £2m following its six-year battle for compensation for miners 
suffering from osteoarthritis of the knees. In 2012 the Durham Miners’ Association set up the Friends of the Durham Miners’ Gala to help the celebration of trade union and community spirit to continue as far into the future as possible.
Response to the appeal for members and donations was huge following the publicity of the £2m bill, early in may the DMA General Secretary Dave Hopper said:
“This is a brilliant start and I thank everyone who has helped us to achieve this. In a little over a year we have got halfway to where we want to be able to secure the Gala’s future. The whole philosophy behind this appeal is for many people to give a little on a regular basis.
The Durham Miners Gala is taking place on 12 July this year and there are a number of key locations that are significant in the gala, the County Hotel at Old Elvet is where the two legs of the procession come together and are greeted by union leaders and invited guests before beginning their march to the Racecourse where speakers are able to address the crowd.
For more information about the Durham Miners’ Gala please visit their website at: www.durhamminers.org
