The world-famous Jarrow March is being remembered in an exhibition marking its 90th anniversary today. A fund is also being launched to help the young people of Jarrow, set up in honour of the 200 men who walked from Jarrow to London to demand jobs. They set off on Oct 5, 1936, arriving 26 days later on Oct 31.
Symbol of poverty and protest
The March of jobless men from Jarrow to London, accompanied by a mouth organ band, became a symbol of the extreme poverty suffered by the unemployed. The march followed the closure of Jarrow's shipyard on the Tyne, and the men carried an 11,000-name petition to the capital calling for a steel works to be built in its place.
Tory Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin refused to meet the marchers, and no support was given to the people of Jarrow, who suffered appalling deprivation. South Tyneside Council has arranged a display of artefacts from the Jarrow Crusade in the Town Hall, featuring photographs, paintings, antiques and information displays. The group marched to protest a lack of investment and employment in their area in what became a symbol of the Labour movement.
Exhibition and legacy
The Mayor of South Tyneside, Stan Wildhirt, said he hoped people would visit the exhibition because the march's "history must resonate today." He believes that its legacy is "still alive in the minds of the people of Jarrow". Among the many objects on display is one of the banners carried by the men who undertook the 26-day journey. Many men living in Jarrow relied on Palmer's shipyard for employment and its closure left them without work. Two hundred of them walked to Parliament to demand work and draw attention to the people at home living in poverty.
Inspired by the 90th anniversary, the Jarrow March Next Step Fund aims to encourage them to find their passion, interest or potential future career path, before they leave school. In the spirit of the 200 Jarrow Marchers, who walked to London in 1936 to petition for the right to work, the Fund aims to help young people take control of their own future.
Next Step Fund launch
Susan Wear, Chair of Jarrow Forward Neighbourhood Board, said: "These small grants from the Next Step Fund could make a huge difference. They ensure our young people don't miss out on precious opportunities to find out what inspires them, giving them the confidence and ambition to pursue their dreams." Giving young people a helping hand to a fulfilling future is rooted in our wider, ten-year Jarrow Plan. This new Fund is an apt way to commemorate the Jarrow Marchers who walked not just for themselves but for their children and future generations.
The Fund has an initial annual allocation of £250,000 over ten years from the Government's Pride in Place programme. It will open from 12 October 2026 and is available to all young people living or attending school in Jarrow's NE32 area. Applications will be managed by Community Foundation North East and assessed by a small panel of town, employer and school representatives, including Kate Osborne, MP for Jarrow and Gateshead East. The idea for the Fund is rooted in the ten-year Jarrow Regeneration Plan which aims to give all children and young people a better future.
The last of the Jarrow Marchers, Con Shiels, died in 2013 aged 96. He continued to tell schoolchildren of his story, proud of his part in one of the most iconic crusades in history. He was just 20 years old and on a government work scheme in London when he joined his father, Con Shiels Senior, and 200 others for the final stretch.
