Bollington Festival holds a unique record for being the largest community festival run solely by volunteers in the UK. Along with this pedestal comes the onus of raising enough money to put on a festival to remember.

When we put out a first call for volunteers, it was to help with fundraising. What we weren't expecting was how many people would step up to the plate to help - not only with willingness, but with experience from various backgrounds.

Making the most of this experience has meant we have been able to structure a fundraising group that can write funding bids, coordinate local sponsorship to eradicate over-burdening Bollington businesses with too many tombola requests and put on a fantastic variety of fundraising events. We now have an events calendar for 2012 that offers something of interest for everyone - a real reflection of the Festival itself. We also have someone experienced in corporate sponsorship deals and others developing merchandising ideas and money-raising schemes.

All of this activity is necessary because between now and the 50th Anniversary Festival in 2014, we have to make sure we can raise around £100,000 to be sure it can happen. That really is a tall order, but with your help, as volunteers in helping to plan all this and as audience participants buying tickets and enjoying yourselves, we can do it!

If you would like to volunteer your time for any of these activities email us at volunteering@bollingtonfestival.org.uk

If you want to be sure you don't miss out on booking for great events like Opera di Briscola, Limelight at Livesey's, Open Gardens and Bollington's Prize-Winning BeerFest, why not become a Festival Friend? As a Festival Friend you will be given advance notice that booking for a particular event is about to open...never miss out on tickets again!

If you are a venue and would like to offer your place for a fundraising activity, or if you have a fundraising idea that you would like to help us action, please email fundraising@bollingtonfestival.org.uk