St Annes First Annual St Georges Day Festival

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Posts Tagged ‘Bill Beaumont’

Message of Support from Martin Bell

Monday, March 16th, 2009

It is a great honour for me to be asked to give the Keynote Address at the St George’s Day Festival lunch in Lytham St Anne’s on 23rd April.

It will also be a pleasure to do so in the company of such outstanding sportsmen as Bill Beaumont and Jimmy Armfield. One of the charities which will benefit is the Army Benevolent Fund whose work was never more necessary than it is today.

I was a soldier myself half a century ago, and not a very good one. But from my later assignments in the world’s war zones I have developed a profound admiration for the soldiers of today. St George’s Day is a suitable occasion to pay tribute to them by supporting the ABF. The Army of today is much better than the Army I joined, not least because it no longer has Corporal 23398941 Bell M of the Suffolk Regiment serving in it!

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Posted in In Support of the Festival | 1 Comment »

Legendary BBC reporter signs up for Fylde festival

Wednesday, March 4th, 2009

CAMPAIGNER, politician and BBC foreign affairs legend Martin Bell is to be a guest speaker at the Lytham St Anne’s St George’s Day Festival.

Mr Bell, who spent decades as one of the UK’s top journalists and later became MP for Tatton in Cheshire, will speak at a corporate event, part of the three-day charity festival due to be held at Lytham Hall from April 23.

The festival organisers have pledged to raise £100,000 per year for charities including the Army Benevolent Fund and Derian House Children’s Hospice, and £1 million within five years.

It is hoped the festival will also raise the profile of a campaign to see St George’s Day become a public holiday – and are local companies are being urged to give staff the day off.

The organisers, who include patrons Lord Shuttleworth JP, Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire; and sporting legends Jimmy Armfield and Bill Beaumont, expect ‘tens of thousands’ of visitors to attend the events.

Mr Bell said: “The Army Benevolent Fund is such a worthy cause, helping countless soldiers and families live their lives, in many cases after unthinkable tragedy.

“I am delighted to be able to support the organisation through the Lytham St Anne’s St George’s Day Festival, and look forward to celebrating our patron saint in such a positive way.

“I hope this festival becomes an inspiration for others to take up the mantle and carry on the work started in Lytham.”

Mr Bell will speak on Thursday afternoon during a ticket only lunch; which follows the official launch of the festival – a flag raising ceremony at Charlie’s Mast, Lytham Green, and a march through the town centre to Lytham Hall accompanied by a military band.

John Coombes, leader of Fylde Borough Council, added: “We are honoured that Martin Bell has agreed to speak at the event on St George’s Day. It will no doubt be a real highlight of the three day festival, and I would urge anybody who wants to hear him to get in touch and reserve a place.

“The support of public figures like Martin goes a long way to helping this festival become a success.”

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Blackpool business to give staff day off for St George’s Day

Friday, February 6th, 2009

A BLACKPOOL business has joined the campaign to make St George’s Day a holiday for Fylde workers by giving its 35 staff the day off on Thursday April 23 2009.

CMYK Group, a printing and publishing business with two sites in Blackpool, is the second business to grant staff April 23 off, following Lytham-based, Tangerine Group, which will give its 120 workers the day off.

The initiative is part of the Lytham St Annes St George’s Day Festival, a three day event aimed at raising £100,000 for charity and lobbying the Government to make April 23 a bank holiday. The event is predicted to be the country’s largest privately arranged celebration of England’s official day.

Event organisers, who include patrons Lord Shuttleworth JP, Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire; and sporting legends Jimmy Armfield OBE and Bill Beaumont CBE, expect tens of thousands of visitors to attend the events.

David Shelmerdine, managing director of CMYK, said: “When I heard about the initiative I thought it was a great idea. Our country has a prestigious heritage and it’s about time a group of people took the celebrations by the scruff of the neck.

“Some people may think that a recession is not a good time to be doing this but I actually think it will boost morale and confidence. I’m sure more businesses will follow suit.”

Councillor John Coombes, leader of Fylde Borough Council, said: “We thank CMYK for supporting the campaign. We have 150 Fylde people already who will have their own bank holiday on April 23 and we expect more to join the event.

“Businesses don’t need the Government’s approval to give their staff the day off. April 23 is a special day for England and we should follow the lead of other nations and celebrate our day with pride.

“The more people who are given the day off, the more can help make the festival a success.”

The Lytham St Annes St George’s Day Festival will take place at Lytham Hall and will comprise a corporate day on Thursday April 23, a black tie auction on the Friday followed by a family fun day on the Saturday.

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Lord Lieutenant speaks out in support of Fylde festival

Friday, January 30th, 2009

THE Queen’s representative in the county has given his blessing to a Fylde event set to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity.

Lord Shuttleworth JP, the Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire, is a patron of the Lytham St Anne’s St George’s Day festival, an event set to be held on three days beginning April 23 this year.

The event, the brainchild of Lytham entrepreneur and businessman David Haythornthwaite, is a not-for-profit festival raising money for charities including the Army Benevolent Fund and Derian House Children’s Hospice, along with the Haythornthwaite Sports Foundation.

The event will include a colourful march through Lytham to the venue, historic Lytham Hall, and a family fun day which is expected to draw crowds from far afield.

Now the Lord Lieutenant has backed the event publicly for the first time, appealing to the public to get behind it and support the charities involved.

He said: “I am delighted to have been invited to become patron of the St George’s Day Festival in Lancashire, not least as county president of the Army Benevolent Fund, the soldiers’ charity which, along with Derian House Children’s Hospice and the Haythornthwaite Sports Foundation, will benefit from monies raised by the Festival.

“We take great pride in our traditions in Lancashire, and in the work of our charities. The St George’s Day Festival is an exciting combination of both. I hope everyone will support it and get much pleasure from doing so.”

The Lord Lieutenant has a duty to represent the monarch in their lieutenancy, and has responsibilities including arranging visits from members of the Royal family, and presenting medals on behalf of the monarch.

The Lord Lieutenant is a patron of the St George’s festival, along with football legend Jimmy Armfield, and former rugby union star Bill Beaumont.

David Haythornthwaite added: “The support of a patron like Lord Shuttleworth is vital for the success of the festival, and we are delighted to have his support.

“Lord Shuttleworth recognises the hard work done by the charities we are supporting and I would reiterate his plea to members of the public to support the festival in any way they can.”

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