I have been actively planning for this year’s festival by leafletting and discussing new sponsor deals around town.  This is a two-pronged approach – I am trying to encourage everybody to get involved by running their own event or local promotion which we can put into the festival program – and on the other hand, I am discussing new sponsorship deals with local businesses – and getting some very positive responses.

The weather has been lovely today so I went for a walk around the commercial estate knocking on doors and found many community-spirited people – people who live in Shefford and make their living here, so would like to give something back to help make living in the town a more positive experience. As one person put it – “I have lived in Shefford for a while and really like the place”.

Our sponsors from last year have agreed to continue their support so now we would like to widen the field and encourage more people to come forward – for anyone thinking of sponsoring be assured we have kept the cost low deliberately to stay below a small business pain threshold. So if you would like to be involved please contact me – I would be delighted to discuss the festival with you and how your participation could help your business.

The whole point of a community festival is to help make Shefford a better place to live, so there are three ways you could help us towards that goal:

• Participate by running an event/activity
• Sponsor the Festival
• Join the Fun!

Activities—possible examples:

• Special events e.g. pop up circus
• Social support group events
• Family fun days
• Kids events
• Dog show
• Run a litter-picking day
• Organise a sponsored walk
• Have a stall at the Garage Sale Trail
• Make a Scarecrow for the Scarecrow Festival
• Festival menus – e.g. a festival drink or meal
• Street theatre – living statues, unicycling, juggling
• Taster sessions – fitness classes, singing, handicraft, Tai Chi
• Run a feature session for your business – e.g. a free consultation
• Run a coffee and cake morning for your favourite charity or activity
• Social/historical informative events e.g. a display or walking tour
• Run your own niche festival – maybe a beer festival or a crafting
  festival?

Be inclusive – Shefford has expanded significantly in recent years and continues to grow rapidly – this presents us all with a wealth of opportunity. Whatever your interest there are probably others in Shefford who would like to explore it, so over the period of the festival this is a great opportunity to reach out and build our community spirit, subject to Covid regulations.

Remember we do not run physical events ourselves, which means that this is truly a festival of and for the community – facilitated by us and supported by our sponsors.

Remember to promote your event along with our Festival promotion. Use our logo on your promotional material to show your association. The more we all promote the Festival then the more coverage we will all create – and the more fun can be had by all of us in the Shefford Community.

Join the Fun!

As a visitor please refer to the website: sheffordcommunityfestival.co.uk.
Watch for a copy of the program – select some key events. Look out for the coverage in local press and social media to stay up to date with new program content. Contact the specific event organiser if you have any questions – be aware there may be a charge for some events.

Note our signature events like the Garage Sale Trail, the EATFeast street food fayre, the Scarecrow festival, St Mary’s Church café, and others.

Then on Festival week – attend your chosen events and enjoy!

2021 Sponsors:

Sponsor the Festival:
Become a sponsor and support the Festival with a small donation to express the participation and support of your business as part of the community and enable us to promote the festival.

Have the opportunity to associate with the Festival and use our special “sponsor” logo, be included on our website and in our promotion, and even to exhibit a 4m banner on your building, subject to availability.

The 2021 Festival was sponsored by: BEST group, Country Properties, John R Ford, The Garage Shefford, LivingLife magazine, Lesley Whiteman Social Media, The Industrial Marketing Agency, Shefford Tai Chi and Shefford Local – for 2022 you could join them – the more the merrier! The more sponsorship we have then the more we can promote the Festival and all the events that feature in our program.

Contact Ian Deavin to discuss your activity or
sponsorship – [email protected]
or mobile 07860 218334
www.sheffordcommunityfestival.co.uk

We are delighted to have once again been able to participate in the annual Christmas Tree Festival at St Michaels and All Angels Church – thanks to the generosity of A. Jakins & Sons – also known as Three Kings – for donating this lovely tree.

Save the dates – the 2022 Shefford Community Festival will take place between Friday 16th September and Sunday 25th September. We look forward to seeing you!

When we started the Community Festival it was just an idea which a few people thought was a ” good idea” – it was certainly a new approach to supporting the way we all enjoy being in Shefford. It took a lot of work and a lot of talking (still does!) and we had to cancel in 2020, although signature events went ahead on their own – well done Lesley and Jo with the Garage Sale Trail and the Scarecrow Festival.

But understanding if the Festival is meeting its aim has always been difficult to judge – so it has been especially gratifying and helpful to receive positive and unsolicited, feedback – which has come my way in recent months.

So I want to say thank you to all the people who have gone out of their way to give that positive feedback – for example to the lady who expressed ” I want to congratulate you on what you have achieved with the Festival.”

With any project which depends on goodwill, there will always be a range of responses so it is really supportive to get the positive along with the negative – it makes all the effort worthwhile. I think it shows that in a very “community” way we, as a town are coming together to do something which makes life a bit more enjoyable.

I am very much looking forward to an even bigger/better program in September 2022 – so there are three ways that you can contribute:

• Be a participant – run an activity or event
• As a business, you can sponsor the festival
• Join the fun – be a visitor

Now is a great time to think of what you might do to participate – take a couple of months – then having created the intention and a “back of the envelope plan” please let me know by registering on the website here. If you would like to join our sponsors then please email or phone 07860 218334 – the more sponsorship we have then the more promotion we can do.

I popped into the STMA family/bouncy castle afternoon – and it was buzzing! So lovely to see an event being that successful, with so many kids and parents enjoying themselves.

Good luck with the Discos this evening and the movie afternoon at 3.30  tomorrow.

This week I have  been in the habit of taking a daily look at the Festival program, and yesterday evening that led me to the STMA pub quiz games event, along with an enthusiastic group of teams competing for the £50 cash prize. The STMA committee have recently completely refurbished the main hall and installed sound proofing, wall coverings and curtains for improved utility. So together with a low cost bar the venue is a very attractive centre for community activities.

What a good start to this year’s community festival – and a reminder that it really is a grassroots-up sort of thing – all the events are independent and come about because people in Shefford want them.

On Friday afternoon I enjoyed a cup of coffee at St Michaels Church cafe and then, like many others, we had an enjoyable evening at EAT feast in it’s new regular location. On Saturday I joined the steady stream of families walking around town with maps in hand to check out the Garage Sale Trail ( record numbers of stalls – yea! ) and the Scarecrow festival with it’s £50 prize.

The Family Fun Day at the Railway Steamer with it’s dog show and bouncey castle certainly went well on Saturday – and was still going in spirit when I visited for Sunday lunch the next day.

Events that all came together under the Festival banner because individuals made them happen – so I am hoping to get along this evening to the STMA at 7.00 for the Meppershall Players.

We are delighted that Rose Buds at Duck Lane have been inspired to create an amazing new Mars Shake in honour of the Festival – available just for festival week it is a marvellous concoction of delicious caramel chocolatey shake topped with whip cream, chocolate syrup, a dusting of chocolate powder & (most importantly) a mini mars!