Donations save miners' gathering

Billy Bragg will perform at the 2004 gala

The future of one of the UK's last surviving miners' gatherings has been secured for the next five years.

The future of the Durham Miners' Gala has been in doubt since the demise of deep coalmining in the 1990s.

But the Durham Miners Union says it has secured enough cash from donations to keep the traditional gathering going until 2009.

The annual Durham Miners' Gala features a march and parade of pit banners through the city.

Union president David Guy said annual funding of £30,000 had been promised by sponsors and individual benefactors.

In the 1990s, the gala nearly folded because of a cash shortage and was only saved after a New Zealand businessman stepped in.

Mr Guy said the gala was an important part of the labour movement.

Music programme

He said: "We have funding for the Gala for the next five years.

"This means that the event is virtually underwritten for that period.

"It will certainly see us through the next general election and hopefully another Labour government."

Singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, heads the music programme for the 120th gala on 10 July, which culminates on the city's racecourse.

About 40,000 people attended last year's event.

At its peak, in the 50s and 60s, the gala - dubbed the "big meeting" - attracted big name Labour politicians and crowds in excess of 300,000.

James Callaghan was the last Labour prime minister to attend the gala in 1978, and Neil Kinnock was the last Labour leader to take part in the event.

At the peak of "coal power" there were more than 200 pits in the Durham coalfield alone.

Now only one deep mine remains in operation in the north-east of England.