Folk festival given £14,000 boost (From Bournemouth Echo)

Folk festival given £14,000 boost

1:00pm Saturday 16th March 2013 in News By Alex Winter

WIMBORNE’S revamped folk festival has been given a £14,000 boost.

Councillors pledged to support the annual event, which is being run by a new team of local volunteers, at the meeting of the community committee on Tuesday.

The support includes a £2,000 grant towards the running of the festival, as well as street cleaning and waste collection costs of up to £12,000 to keep the town tidy before, during and after the event.

The funding is the final instalment of a three-year agreement made with the festival’s previous organisers, who retired last year.

At the meeting, councillors also agreed to look at future funding of the festival, alongside bids for grant funding in 2014/15.

Mike Carhart-Harris, chairman of the organising committee, said: “It’s great to receive such a resounding endorsement from councillors.

“We want this to be a truly community-led and family focused event that is safe and fun for all while promoting our rich folk traditions to new generations.”

He added that councillors had been impressed by the business plan presented.

“Thanks to this support from East Dorset District Council and our other sponsors, we can continue to develop a fantastic event for 2013 and beyond,” he said.

A festival of folk music and dance has taken place in Wimborne each year since 1980.

The event, which is always held on the second weekend of June, regularly attracts more than 25,000 people into the town centre.

Volunteers are still needed for this year’s event, which will take place from June 7-9.

Mr Carhart-Harris said: “We are keen to hear from people who would like to volunteer as stewards over the festival weekend.

“We also have pitches available for charity stalls. If you’d like to get involved, please see our website for details and drop us an email.”

For more information, or to buy tickets, visit wimbornefolk.co.uk