POPULAR PARADE TO MARK ST PATRICK'S DAY IN CITY

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Popular parade to make St Patrick's Day in city

By Peter Warzynski

A sea of green, white and gold will sweep through the city again this weekend as thousands gather to celebrate St Patrick's Day.

The traditional annual parade will start at Holy Cross church, in New Walk, at midday on Sunday and snake its way through Leicester past the Clock Tower and finish at the big screen in Humberstone Gate.

More than 1,000 people, including dancers, standard bearers, sports clubs and Irish societies will be led by the West Midlands Fire Service Pipe Band during the procession.

Then, the festivities will carry on into the evening with pubs and bars welcoming revellers with a steady flow of Guinness and traditional music.

Organiser Tony Cusack, from the Emerald Centre, in Gipsy Lane, said: "I'm really looking forward to it – it just gets better every year.

"Seeing all the generations coming together, from all backgrounds and indeed cultures, and turning the streets of Leicester into a sea of green and parading through the streets in such a positive vibrant atmosphere is absolutely amazing – this makes me proud to be Irish."

Last year, hundreds of men, women and youngsters took part in the colourful parade during the day – waving flags, playing music and showcasing traditional dancing.

This year's festivities are starting early with a number of St Patrick's Day events taking place this week in the lead-up to the big day on Sunday.

Jackie Duffy, owner of Duffy's Bar, in Pocklingtons Walk, is putting on a range of Irish evenings, starting on Thursday.

She said: "We've got an Irish Myths and Legends evening on Thursday – I think I'm more excited about that any other part of it – the lady who runs it is captivating, it'll be amazing.

"St Patrick's Day is always fantastic and it's always so well supported.

"I love the parade, it's a great opportunity to show your support for the Irish community in Leicestershire."

O'Neills Irish pub, in Loseby Lane, is also hoping to attract revellers and has a number of events this week including an Irish jig world record attempt on Thursday, and Irish dancing at the bar on Sunday.

Other events include St Patrick's church, in Beaumont Leys Lane, which is hosting a special celebration mass on Saturday, at 11am.

Braunstone and District Working Men's Club, in Braunstone Close, will feature Irish band Echoes of Erin on Friday.

Tickets are £8.

In the city centre, a St Patrick's Day mass will be held at Holy Cross at 11am on Sunday, ahead of the parade.

For pictures of last year's procession, visit: www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk

PARADE KICKS OFF ST PATRICK'S DAY CELEBRATIONS IN THE CITY

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Parade kicks off St Patrick's Day Celebrations in the city

Hundreds of people proudly showed off their Irish heritage by parading through Leicester city centre.

Members of the city's 8,000-strong Irish community gathered on Saturday to launch a week of celebrations leading up to St Patrick's Day on March 17.

They marched through the city's busy shopping streets, from Guildhall Lane to Humberstone Gate, carrying the 32 flags of Ireland's 32 counties and following a band made up of scouts from Syston, Thurmaston and Wigston.

Parade organiser Jackie Duffy, from the Emerald Centre in Gypsy Lane, said: "We might have confused a few people because St Patrick's Day isn't until Saturday but on that day there will be masses and other events and we didn't want to have to make people choose between one thing and another.

"By doing it a week beforehand we got a really good turn out.

"People think St Patrick's Day is all about drinking loads and wearing silly hats but that's not what we're about at all – well perhaps there will be a bit of that but the people on the parade are young children, families and old folk.

"We really want to show off Irish culture and how proud we are to be Irish in our home city of Leicester."

Joining the parade were three large Irish Wolfhounds, called Eachan, Keavhe and Ava, as well as Leicester mayor Sir Peter Soulsby who was given the flag of County Offaly to carry during the parade.

He said: "Today I'm an adopted son of Offaly and proud to be so.

"The Irish community is one of the longest established in Leicester dating back to the 16th century and has contributed so much to the life of the city. It is great to see so many people enjoying a celebration of their roots."

Mary Considine, 74, who came to Leicester from Offaly 57 years ago and volunteers at The Emerald Centre, was given the honour of leading the parade with her son Evan, 11.

She said: "Days like this are brilliant. It makes me proud to be Irish and proud to be living in Leicester." Helen Taylor, 54, from Saffron Lane, came to Leicester from Waterford when she was a girl.

She bought her three-year-old granddaughter Laila to see the celebration and said: "We like to remember our Irish roots so the parade has been wonderful.

"On Saturday I'll be decorating my house for St Patrick's Day and having friends around for a proper celebration."

When the parade ended in Humberstone Gate, shoppers were given a performance of Irish dancing by youngsters which was broadcast on the city centre's giant television screen.

Earlier in the day, a peace service had been held at Leicester Cathedral for St Patrick's Day.

Poet and essayist Padraig O'Tauma, from Belfast, who has worked to promote peace between communities in Ireland, spoke about his work.

SOCIAL ENTERPRISE IN THE VOLUNTARY AND COMMUNITY SECTOR

At Action Deafness, Welford Road, this morning for a breakfast networking event with the theme, "Social Enterprise in the Voluntary and Community Sector in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland". Round the table are nine organisations:

• Action Deafness
• Action Homeless
• Cooke e-Learning Foundation
• Domestic Violence Integrated Response Unit
• The Emerald Centre
• Leicestershire Aids Support Service (LASS)
• Lighthouse Learning
• Network for Change
• Tomorrow Together

I'm here today speaking not only for the Council of Faiths but also for the Regional Equality and Diversity Partnership (REDP).

Jenny Hand, from LASS, chairs the meeting. It is facilitated by Jacqui Tilyard, who has worked with Business Link (amongst others) and is a freelance business trainer and consultant. She's particularly interested in the "social entrepreneur". I first met Jacqui at the launch of the Jewish Voices book, exhibition and website. Her husband, Glen, took the photos for that book and has long worked for Writing School Leicester, for which I've taught from time to time.

This meeting, and the informal network of contacts invited to it, are supported by the Modernisation Fund, which promotes collaboration and merger. The former is appealing to the VCS, the latter not necessarilly so. A few organisations which have obtained some funding from this source are committed to the network that has grown out of their involvement: how is it working? is it a network of organisations or of individuals? can it be expanded? should it be expanded? Today we discuss some of these, and related, issues: sharing resources, experience and expertise; consolidating back office functions; making joint funding bids; identifying best practice; overcoming isolation; retaining and transmitting values; tapping into our network of networks (a brief explanation of the relevance of REDP fits in here). We consider how to use the more positive aspects of our common anxiety about the future - how it is making many in the VCS world come out of their shells and reach out to others. Plans are made for moving forward, which should be taken up soon.