FUNDING JOY FOR FLEETWOOD!

Fleetwood is celebrating funding for four upcoming community events and arts projects. Over £55,000 has been granted in total by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, supported by Wyre Council.

The funding will go towards the costs of staging Fleetwood’s Festival of Transport; Flakefest; a new event, The Fleetwood Donkey Derby and a mural for the new Civic Memorial Art Trail.

Flakefest, on the playing fields of Flakefleet Primary School this Friday, 27th June is open to the whole community. The line-up of singers and musicians includes local performers Lucas Williams, the Harmony & Health singers and is headlined by 90’s pop icon Whigfield.

Fleetwood Festival of Transport on Sunday 20th July celebrates its 40th anniversary and will be packed with exhibits, entertainers, stalls and all the fun of the fair along Lord Street and across the Town Centre.

The first ‘Fleetwood Donkey Derby' will be held on The Esplanade later in the summer. Community groups and businesses will be invited to take part in the costume-character race.

The Civic Memorial Art Trail will be led by Christian Fenn and Hayley Garner, aka Seca One and Aylo. The pair will use their skills and extensive contacts within the world of mural art, creating a new addition to the growing trail of stunning large-scale pieces across Fleetwood.

The successful funding bid was put together by the event committees plus members of organisations and community groups, now collectively known as the Fleetwood Heritage, Arts & Culture Partnership.

Bringing together partners to work on a range of identified themes is the role of Future Fleetwood, the Town Centre Partnership Board. Chair of Future Fleetwood, Dave McPartlin said, “It’s great news for Fleetwood that these events and creative projects will be supported. They will give our fantastic community some exciting opportunities to come together and attract thousands of local residents and visitors for family fun, generating customers for local businesses. Adding to the trail of amazing murals is also investing in the future, something new alongside everything that Fleetwood has to offer.”

“Forming the Heritage, Arts & Culture Partnership follows the successes we’ve seen in similar initiatives such as the Thrive Partnership which connects children’s health and wellbeing and Healthier Fleetwood Partnership, a point of contact for community groups. We are looking at other opportunities to ensure Fleetwood always has a voice in the decisions that affect our Town’s future.”

Further details of all the events and projects are available on their social media pages and websites.