By David LennardTHE public have been urged to rally behind the Lowestoft Air Festival to ensure it takes place this year.Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival Ltd has set up a system for people to become friends of the event in return for a £10 donation and commercial friends for £30.

By David Lennard

THE public have been urged to rally behind the Lowestoft Air Festival to ensure it takes place this year.

Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival Ltd has set up a system for people to become friends of the event in return for a £10 donation and commercial friends for £30.

Already donations and applications to become friends have begun arriving at the company office, but more support is still needed.

Graham Cooke, managing director of the company, said: “We are most grateful for this support, it has created a good impetus to the fundraising activities and generated a high level of optimism among the team.

“Pretty soon, though, we need to book the flying displays and at this point in time we are not entirely confident that we have the financial security to do this.

“We need the public, alongside local businesses, to really rally round and show their commitment to the air festival.”

In previous years the two-day air festival has been organised by Waveney District Council with help from European funding.

This year is the first time that the event has to be self-financing and Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival Ltd has been set up to help organisers achieve this.

The success of the friends scheme is vital if the company is to raise the £250,000 needed to pay for this year's event planned for July 28 and 29.

Organisers of this year's festival are hoping to enrol at least 20,000 friends to guarantee the event's continued success.

Mr Cooke said the first Friend of the Air Festival was Brian Jillings, of Carlton Colville, with Pat Hudson, of the Abbe Guest House, London Road South, Lowestoft, becoming the first commercial friend.

It is estimated that the festival, which attracts many thousands of visitors to the Lowestoft South Beach area, brings in more than £6million a year to the area's economy.

n To join the Friends of Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival, send a cheque for £10 (public) or £30 (commercial) made payable to Lowestoft Seafront Air Festival Ltd, along with a completed application form which are available throughout Lowestoft, to Friends of the Air Festival, 41 Tennyson Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32 1PS.

david.lennard@eadt.co.uk