ORGANISERS are close to finalising plans for this year’s Sudbury Community Festival.

Richard Hibbert, event organiser, and his team have been working hard for six months, bringing the festival together. Sudbury Town Council have backed the event and a number of local businesses have donated their time, services and cash to the festival.

The festival takes place on May 27, from 1.30pm to 9pm, at the Delphi Centre, and Mr Hibbert said: “Sudbury Community Festival will be a quality, low-cost event designed by local people, for local people. It’s given us an opportunity to celebrate everything we love about our town, but also raise money for local charities.”

The team is keen to involve more organisations from the business community and sponsors will receive promotion alongside the event and get backstage passes and the chance to play in a celebrity football match.

Sudbury Town Council, Kitchen Showroom Ltd, GCS Alarms and Mackman Group are among the first sponsors for the event.

The day will feature live music; a Sudbury XI football team challenging a celebrity guest team; an auction; stalls; and a competition to win a place in a football master-class session with Fabian Wilnis, ex- Ipswich Town defender.

Confirmed guests include Kevin Horlock, ex-Manchester City, West Ham and Ipswich Town footballer; Kerry Dixon, ex-England and Chelsea; Dalton Grant, former high jumper and Olympic committee member; and Mike McClean, comedian.