THE organisers of a ten-day festival whose future was under threat from cuts say this year’s event will now go ahead.

The team behind Saltaire Festival started an appeal for funds after facing a shortfall due to cutbacks.

They have now revealed that enough cash has come in – from grants and advertising revenue – for the festival to go ahead between Friday, September 8, and Sunday, September 17.

But they are still appealing for further funding to help run festival events, which will include music and family entertainment in Roberts Park and Saltaire village, and a continental market in Exhibition Road.

The festival’s board of trustees applied to a number of funding sources for part of the cash to pay for the event. These included the Salt Foundation, which has given the festival an unconfirmed amount.

Ros Garside, chairman of the Saltaire Festival Board, said: “This year’s festival is definitely going to go ahead.

“Every year we are starting from scratch with volunteers and funding. There is always a turnover of people who are involved in it and we have no guaranteed funding.

“We don’t have the luxury of a five-year grant. This is the 15th festival for us now too. But we are still looking for funding to make it even better. We welcome anybody who is looking to support us.

“There is a lot of work to do on the festival.”

She also appealed for volunteers to come forward to help with the festival’s events.

She said: “We still need volunteers during the festival, as many as possible.

“We can give anybody a job. We just need a big presence of people in Roberts Park too.

“We will begin to announce events in late May and we’ll hold a meeting for new volunteers in June.”

The full programme of events at this year’s festival will be announced on July 21.

The festival has taken place in the village every September since 2003, to commemorate 150 years since Sir Titus Salt created Saltaire.

Last year’s festival was partly funded by grants from Bradford Council, Baildon Town Council and the Sir George Martin Trust.

It cost around £60,000 to stage and included more than 100 events and attracted more than 35,000 visitors.

To volunteer, or to take part, email info@saltairefestival.co.uk, or go to saltairefestival.co.uk. Contributions can also be made at justgiving.com/saltaire-communityfestival.