More Burnham-On-Sea businesses have this week pledged their financial support to helping save the future of the town’s threatened seafront fireworks display, but organisers have warned that they may pull the plug on the event at the end of July if enough cash is not raised.
Burnham’s Bay View Cafe and Home Hardware have this week pledged their financial support, donating money to help the event (as pictured above).
But, as previously reported by Burnham-On-Sea.com, cash-strapped Sedgemoor District Council withdrew its financial support for the event earlier this year due to its huge £1.8m financial shortfall and this means businesses and residents are now being urged to come forward with donations to safeguard it.
Town Clerk Eileen Shaw, talking at Thursday’s meeting of Burnham-On-Sea Chamber of Trade, said: “We have a deadline of the end of July to raise the £8,000 needed and confirm whether the event can go ahead. If we don’t have enough money by then, the event will sadly have to be cancelled.”
She added: “A working party set up to safeguard the future of the fireworks has carried out a lot of work behind the scenes. The fireworks display does help many businesses and accommodation providers and means many people stay in the town during November’s carnival weekend.”
Bob Nicholson, Chairman of Sedgemoorn Tourism Association, agreed that losing the fireworks “would be a blow to many tourism businesses who benefit from the event.”
Tom Ashton, who has been leading the fundraising drive to get the necessary funds to save the event, said over £1,700 has been raised so far from a special business raffle in which the winners will become the sponsors of the fireworks display. He added that donations would be welcomed from residents and private individuals alike.
Mrs Shaw added that following the cancellation of last year’s fireworks display, due to bad weather, the fireworks working party hopes to have a special cancellation insurance policy in place to secure the finances of this year’s event.
Alex Turco, Chairman of Burnham Chamber of Trade, added at Thursday’s meeting: “This is a special event and we should all support it, but we should also consider putting our thinking caps on and try getting more private sector involvement to secure more events like this.”
Pictured above are Bay View Cafe’s Ann and Sonya Fudge and Home Hardware’s Phil Hemmings with Burnham fireworks working party members Tom Ashton and Eileen Shaw
RELATED LINKS:
Burnham Chamber of Trade official website
Disappointment as 2007 fireworks are cancelled
Video of Burnham seafront fireworks in 2006
Big crowds watch Burnham-On-Sea’s 2005 fireworks
