We have warmly welcomed a financial boost of £1500 from the Bognor Regis Business Improvement District (BID)
Cultural Fund and £3500 from the nationally based, Joe Strummer Foundation.
The additional funding from the BID will be used to fund the Festival`s Dance Programme plus the Big Seaside Sing and new for 2020, the ‘Shanty Showdown‘.
BID Chairman, Jason Passingham said “Our support for the Festival is based on its proven track record in attracting people into the Town Centre and creating a great atmosphere that people can enjoy and take part in if they wish in a relaxed and safe environment. The Festival really does reach out and involve the whole Town and brings a lot of new people to Bognor Regis which all has a very positive impact for local shops, hotels, pubs and other businesses.”
Monies from the Joe Strummer Foundation will go towards getting even more people involved in music through the platform of the Festival as well as extending the life of one of its outreach projects, `Making Your Mark` which has been running since June 2018 with the aim of combating social isolation by learning and playing the ukulele.
Simon Goodale representing the Joe Strummer Foundation said, “The Foundation is all about empowering people through music and the Southdowns Folk Festival and the ongoing `Making Your Mark` project has shown how this can be successfully achieved. We want to build on this success and get even more people from a whole variety of backgrounds and ages into and enjoying music, improving their skills and confidence thereby creating more positivity and a ‘can-do’ frame of mind”.
Festival Chairman, Roger Nash added “We are really grateful to the Bognor Regis BID and the Joe Strummer Foundation for their valued financial backing. This will enable us to improve and expand the September event as well as giving us a firmer financial footing to continue our musical outreach projects plus help create an even more positive image for Bognor Regis”.