Rotherham Gathers for the 10th Annual Reclaim the Night Event 

Rotherham will once again come together for the annual Reclaim the Night event, marking its 10th year with a special celebration on Thursday, 21st November from 4pm to 8pm. This year’s event is a part of WOW Rotherham Year-Round and promises a powerful evening of activities, workshops, and a walk to reclaim the streets. 

The celebration begins with workshops at Grimm & Co. from 4pm to 6pm, offering families a chance to get involved in free, creative activities, including badge-making, flower crown crafting, and decorating wishes for Rotherham’s future. Enjoy a specially curated winter menu while listening to live music by Mazvita Mabanja aka Maz and poetry from young people in Rotherham. 

The highlight of the evening, the Reclaim the Night Walk, will start at 6pm outside Rotherham Town Hall. The walk invites everyone to join in as participants parade through the town centre, celebrating the women of Rotherham. This marks the 10th year of reclaiming the streets, focusing on making the town safer for all. 

Following the walk, the event continues at Rotherham Town Hall from 6:30pm to 8pm with refreshments and a speaker’s panel. Beginning at 7pm, the panel will feature inspiring voices such as Lori-Anne Tart, Captain of Rotherham United Women’s Football Club, and Kavita Varu, a solicitor-turned-DJ, among other community leaders.  

Sharon Kemp, Chief Executive at Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council said: “I’m delighted to be able to join our community for this year’s walk and look forward to enjoying the many creative activities planned to help celebrate this important milestone. Everyone is welcome to join us in Rotherham for a special evening of culture that should appeal to all ages and help share an important message.” 

As part of Rotherham’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, striking banners created by artist Jenna Greenwood, in collaboration with community groups, will be paraded during the Reclaim the Night Walk. These banners, serve as a powerful visual representation of community solidarity and activism and will be displayed in the windows of High Street businesses from 22nd November to 10th December. 

For the event programme go to: https://fluxrotherham.org.uk/reclaim-the-night-wow-rotherham-2024/  

#ReclaimtheNightRotherham  Image credits: Rotherham Advertiser, Reclaim the Night in 2015