BANBRIDGE District Council has received £10,600 to fund community festivals.
The funding came from the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure, and has been in place from April 1. This amount will be match funded by the council increasing the overall fund to £21,200.
Local community groups interested in funding their own fes
tival are now able to seek financial support from the council.
To qualify for funding, festival organisers will have to demonstrate how their event will address a number of issues.
Some issues included are strong community participation, provides opportunities for people to improve skills or receive training, attracts visitors to the area and demonstrates value for money.
Mike Reith, Director of Leisure Services with Banbridge District Council, said, "I hope local community groups seize this opportunity to secure a grant to host a local festival.
"We will provide advice and support to any group that may be interested in organising a festival but is inexperienced in this area.
"We will also evaluate the impact that every festival supported by us has on the local community."
For further information or to request an application form, contact the council's Leisure Services Department on 028 4066 0605. Application forms are also available online at www.banbridge.gov.uk.
The full article contains 213 words and appears in Banbridge Leader newspaper.
