DESPITE the venue and equipment being submerged for almost 48 hours during Storm Desmond back in December, organisers of the Tynedale Beer Festival are aiming to make this year’s event the biggest yet.

With the club house at Tynedale Park still out of action, members of Tynedale Lions and the rugby club have undertaken an ambitious programme to build new bars and purchase new beer pumps, which will be laid out across more marquee space than ever before.

Bouncing back from the most catastrophic flooding event in living memory, which forced dozens of residents in Corbridge from their homes, began with assessing the full extent of the damage.

“It wasn‘t just the height of the flood water that was the problem but also the velocity of the water flowing through the site,” explained Lions club member Roger Marsh, who said beer pumps, coolers and other equipment stored at Tynedale Park was ruined.

“The beer festival has agreed a settlement with its insurers to help with replacing the damaged equipment and now it’s down to the hard work.”

The event, which first began in 2002, has now raised over £450,000 and 2015 was, as anticipated, a record-breaking year with the biggest attendance ever.

Last summer, 6,500 visitors sampled 20,000 pints from the 140 draught beers and ciders on offer, while 230 bottles of Prosecco and 75 bottles of Pimms were also consumed across the three-day event.

The festival brings together live music from local bands and family entertainment, while raising money for good causes.

And between Thursday, June 16 and Saturday, June 18, it’s set to happen all over again, with the nominated charities set to benefit in 2016 named as Northumberland County Blind Association, St Oswald’s Hospice and Northumbria Blood Bikes.

Roger said: “The aim of the festival is simple – to ensure that everyone who comes has a really great time.

“Every penny of profit goes to benefit charities and projects.”

Visitors to the festival, which is near Corbridge train station, can also bring tents or caravans to the event.

For more information and tickets, which are also available from Corbridge and Hexham tourist information centres, visit www.tynedale beerfestival.org.uk.