Weymouth Kite Festival under threat

[malcolmf]

Please find posted below an e-mail I have received from Allan Pothecary of Close Encounters:-

I am sorry but this is a rather long e-mail

Most of you will have heard by now that Weymouth councillors have, in my opinion, blindly, tried to save money by axing the budget for the kite festival and also the summer fireworks which are held every weekend during the summer.
Well the battle is not over yet!
Those of you that have visited and enjoyed the festival over so many years can help toward it's survival by writing to the council before it is gone for ever.
We just can't afford to keep losing festivals like this!

Can I ask that you write to the council or email the addresses below in support of the festival.
I have already made some loud noises in local paper interviews and on Radio(s) Solent and Wessex about disastrous effect this will have on the the towns shops, hotels and restaurants and we now need some more voices in support of the festival as one of the major events in the kiting calendar and how much you have enjoyed going there.
They need to know how many regular visitors they will be missing if they don't hold the event next year! Also write in if you were thinking of coming this year!

We need to get the letters sent in now!

[e-mail]
Councillor Ian Bruce is the spokesman for Tourism and Leisure and another address worth copying in is events person Neil Thornley [e-mail]
It was Cllr Bruce that suggested losing the Lord Mayor's chauffeur at the meeting as a money saving exercise but this received no support!!!!

………..….and how about a separate note or just copying in www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/yoursay/submitletter

For maximum effect, please keep your note short, polite and to the point
Please don't put this job off - do it NOW or it will be too late - and if you could bcc me in I can really judge the support for keeping the festival.

At last year's festival a survey was conducted and the results will be fed back so there is no need to include that if you write in

These are the figures …..

The Kite Festival witnessed an estimated audience of between 12 - 15,000 visitors to the seafront during the 3 day Kite festival.

Taking the mean average number of visitors (13,500) and that 74.2% (10,017) stated that the Kite Festival was the main reason for visiting the Borough the estimated Economic Value of the Kite Festival is as follows:

Day Trip 24% 2,405 Generating £100,865.70
Overnight 12 % 1,202 £ 64,932.04
2-5 nights 49% 4,908 £795,390.48
(average 3 nights)
7 nights 15% 1,502 £567,966.28

TOTAL ECONOMIC VALUE £1,529,154.50

N.B. Day Visitor Spend of £41.94 per day and Overnight Visitor Spend of £54.02 per night based on South West Tourism 2011 figures.

Perhaps the council should be trying harder to find a local sponsor from one of the big companies that reside there?
There is some interesting, on-line, reading in the recent pages of the Dorset Echo with much local support for the Kite Festival.

There will be a consultation form/online survey on the "Dorset For You" web-site in a couple of weeks.
Anyone can fill it in and I will let you know when it is posted with the link but your letter now, will add more weight - go on - you've already written it in your mind reading this - don't forget to copy me in please!

best regards

Allan Pothecary

e-mail address:- [e-mail]

[malcolmf]

Further update from Allan Pothecary:-

here is currently a thread running on the web pages of the Dorset echo.
Below is the link if you want to take a look and my latest addition with ideas cribbed from some of the letters sent in by you guys to Cllr Ian Bruce and Tourism manager Nick Thornley.
The oldest letters are at the top - the one below is in answer to posts from others.

There have been around 25 to 30 very strongly worded letters now thank you to those who have taken the time - and for those that haven't yet, please put fingers to keypads. - look down - it is in front of you now!
I wrote out to 64 people and some of those were passing it on to associates.

As a reminder Cllr Bruce and Nick Thornley's email addresses are: "Cllr Ian Bruce (WPBC)" <[e-mail]> and "[e-mail]" <[e-mail]>


www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/10650392.UPDATED__Borough_braced_for___3_5_million_of_council_cuts_as_fireworks_and_kite_festival_axed/?cmpid=cmt

I write not only as a kite flyer but as a frequent visitor throughout each year who has enjoyed the town and spent much - all as a direct result of a visit to the 1993 kite festival.
I have talked to many local traders, hoteliers etc some of whom, thankfully, have part sponsored the festival over the years.
What those speculators with their, well intended, suggestions are failing to recognise is that many of them (as previously said) are working on marginal profits. This means that they have no budget for sponsorship. What, I fear, will happen is that less visitors will come, less new visitors will be tempted to come and those "lifeblood to the town" businesses will close.
That means less income from business rates and less attractions to visitors.
Less visitors will mean that the next level of business will close and that will mean less business rates - and so on.
For example take a look at towns like Margate and Clacton where the high streets are blighted by closed down shops and the former B & B's have been turned in to bet sits, occupied by foreign workers, homeless people or for guests seeking refuge in our country. There is nothing wrong in that - as long as you understand what the future may hold!

[malcolmf]

A further update juts received from Allan:-

Dear everyone again
This morning I have had a long chat with Cllr Ian Bruce.
The news is that the council do not intend to cancel the festival and are looking at other ways to fund it.
I am to be invited to a meeting to discuss the way ahead.

I was first asked if I wanted to run the festival completely - something few would ever contemplate - but I have agreed to help on a consultative basis as before.
However:
1) If someone does want to pick up the baton and can raise the money they are most welcome - I will still offer my services - or stand aside and let them have at it.
2) As I understand it Weymouth Council (WPBC) will welcome sponsorship and put a team together to run the event and you can apply to join that team through Matt Ryan.

Cllr Bruce has assured me that Weymouth want to keep the event and even make it bigger and better than before but we will be looking seriously at other ways to fund it.
You can channel any sensible ideas or offers of help through me and I will take them forward collectively or, directly to Matt (copied in)

[malcolmf]

Further information is that the Weymouth Kite Festival has now been provisionally agreed for its usual dates on the first May Bank Holiday, with the involvement of some of those who organise the carnival. It still has to find sponsorship monies, but the those involved are now more hopeful of being able to put on the event, I will update you when there is more news

[gerty]

Brill.....
Anyone else planning to go?