It’s still a couple of months away, but preparations are well under way for the Jesmond Community Festival in March. With the timetable filling up rapidly, it seems the festival is set to be an exciting couple of weeks.

The idea behind the festival, which was launched in 2004, is to celebrate the community of Jesmond with a series of events which cater for everyone. In previous years the festival has lasted just one week, but for 2010 it has been extended to two weeks.

And there’s another difference this time round. The festival has traditionally attracted an older audience and families – but has not been as popular among students who are an increasingly important part of the Jesmond community. So this year, the festival organisers are hoping to encourage students to volunteer at events, plan events, and get their friends involved too.

“We need more people involved,” Chris Clarke, one of the organisers, told JesmondLocal. “Last year, hardly any students were involved, and so we’d like to change this for 2010.”

The festival will take place from Saturday, March 13 to Sunday, March 28, 2010. For more details of how you can take part, email Chris Clarke.