ORGANISERS of the Lytham St Anne’s St George’s Day Festival estimate that ‘tens of thousands’ of visitors could be brought to the area by the three day charity event.
The festival will include a corporate day, a ‘night with the stars’ ball, and a family fun day with stalls and activities on offer.
It will be kicked off with a flag raising at Charlie’s Mast on Lytham Green, followed by a march through the town to Lytham Hall, where the rest of the festival will take place. A full scale military band, The Band of the King’s Division, will lead the procession which will which will stop in Lytham Square for an hour to entertain the expected crowds before moving on to Lytham Hall.
Today organisers of the festival said they hoped in excess of 10,000 visitors would come to Lytham, spending money and helping to raise the profile of the town.
David Haythornthwaite, local businessman and the driving force behind the festival, said: “With the recession on everybody’s mind at the moment, an event like this is just what Lytham needs – some positive news and a great three days to look forward to.
“We hope that those who come to Lytham to take part in different aspects of the festival will also stay in hotels in the town, use taxis, eat in restaurants, and contribute to the local economy.
“It is vital that as many people as possible join in, in whatever way they can, to help make the festival a success. We are expecting to raise £100,000 a year for charities including the Army Benevolent Fund, but it is important not to forget the contribution the festival can make to local businesses.”
Councillor John Coombes, leader of Fylde Borough Council, added: “Previous events held in Lytham have brought in excess of ten thousand people – for instance Lytham Club day regularly attracts 10-15,000 people, and our recent Bikesafe events have brought in 6-7,000 per day.
“With a population of 78,000 living in the borough there is no reason why tens of thousands of people cannot help to make this event a success – whether it be through lining the street ready for the procession and flag raising, or joining in the family fun day.
“I would urge everyone to do their part and help raise money for some great causes, and put Lytham on the map.”
