Ashton comes together for #CultureVibe celebration

More than 1,000 people flocked to Holy Trinity Church and Community Centre in Ashton on Sunday for a day of family fun, food, and community spirit at the first-ever St Peter’s #CultureVibe! event.

Organised by Cllr Kaleel Khan alongside partners including Andy’s Man Club Ashton-under-Lyne, Jigsaw Homes, Ashton St Peter’s and Holy Trinity Church, the free community celebration brought together residents from across Tameside in a show of unity and diversity.

Visitors enjoyed a huge variety of attractions throughout the day, with 400 free pies given out to adults and 400 free ice creams for children. There were also sweets and cake stalls, food vendors, crafts and activities, a live DJ, horses, a magician, and music and dance performances.

Speaking at the event, Cllr Kaleel Khan said: “So this is a cultural vibe event, because we want to bring all cultures together from St Peter’s Ward and obviously other wards that are welcome to come and join us across Tameside. We know there’s lots of division and hate and lots of problems that basically a lot of people don’t want and this is an opportunity to bring communities together.

“As you can see, the diverse communities – Christian, Muslim, black, Hindu, Palestinian, Syrian, Arab – they’re all here. And this is what makes a cultural community: to stamp out hate and division.

“I’m really proud to say that a lot of the people who planned this event have come directly from the community, from all backgrounds, and they spent four months running it. What we want is to celebrate our rich communities – and what we don’t want is division.”

The festival atmosphere stretched across the site from 11am to 5pm, with families enjoying BBQs, bouncy castles, sports competitions, charity stalls, and community information stands alongside the entertainment.

Cllr Kaleel Khan and Mayor Shibley Alam joining in with the dancers. You can order your digital download at notreallyheregroup.photo