Shefford Marketing Agency (SMA) has recently grown out of The Industrial Marketing Agency (TIMA) which has sponsored and organised our Community Festival from its beginning.  The team at SMA are offering:

– Websites – concept, execution and updates
– Blogs – design, set up and creation of regular posts
– Design of publicity materials – posters, banners, leaflets
– Graphics + images – creation of new material
– Text/copy writing – generation of descriptive text for your marketing and advertising needs
– Social media – up to date word of mouth recommendation – design and fulfilment of pages and posting of regular content
– Newsletters – creation, production and distribution

Providing marketing expertise – they can do the things that small companies just haven’t got the time to do, as they are too busy actually servicing customers and the many other things that make up their business. Helping out “behind the scenes”, with local marketing support from an experienced team who have operated a national marketing agency for the past 30 years.

Contact Ian, Sue or Lesley

Telephone: 07860 218334
Ian Deavin and Lesley Whiteman, email Ian
Sue Warne, email Sue

Local businesses are once again supporting the community in a way that enables us to grow and thrive – so we are delighted to welcome AS Pro Sports – “Your Local Sports Specialist” as our latest sponsor.  They explain here how they serve Shefford:

“AS Pro Sports has the largest darts, pool and vape shop in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire. Come and visit our shop in Shefford, where you can try over 600 sets of darts on our 2 dartboards and over 100 cues on our 7ft slate pool table.

There is a large range of sports equipment also available in our shop, including Lawn Bowls, Football, Rugby, Netball & Basketball.

Our online store stocks a wide range of products for Darts, Pool & Snooker, Football, Rugby, Fitness, Clothes, Trainers, Swimming, Tennis. There is free shipping on all orders over £99.00. We offer advice from our friendly experts if you have any queries.

Vapour Village has a large range of vape kits and liquids. If you’re thinking of quitting smoking, or already into vaping, come and talk to us about our large selection of vapes.

Visit our large shop in Unit 12c Old Bridge Way, Shefford SG17 5HQ, or see our websites for free local deliveries.”

We look forward to hearing from sponsors and other organisations about what you are all planning for September! To register your activity please see here.

Hi everybody. I hope you have seen that we are urging people to think ahead for their 2022 Community Festival activities – now we have obtained some sponsorship from local businesses we are able to increase the promotion for the Festival overall. It will allow us to put out a further leaflet in July – this time with the program included, and sent out with Newsline and with LivingLife, so it should reach every household in Shefford.

Consequently, I am asking people to think about events now (September is not far off!) and let me know what you are planning asap so it can be included and properly promoted. If you have something in mind please let me know what it is, when you will run it, where it will take place and who the contact is. Information can be submitted here where you can also download a Community Festival logo for your own promotion. If you have already notified us then you can check your entry here.

All the best and good luck with your event planning 😊

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

Our 2022 Sponsors

Rose’s at Duck Lane

AS Pro Sports

Redrow Homes South Midlands

  Bedfordshire Schools Trust – BEST

Country Properties

John R Ford

The Garage

Living Life magazine

Shefford Tai Chi

Shefford Marketing Agency

Lesley Whiteman Social Media

Shefford Local

Things are moving early this year for our festival with last year’s business sponsors staying on board for 2022 – what a great sign of positive belief in our community.  Already many other local businesses have expressed interest and we are able to offer different packages to suit small or large business budgets – in order that everyone who wants to can be involved, so that we can maintain and improve this annual event.

Here is a quick listing of supporters but of course, full details can be seen on the website – if you would like to join them please contact me as we expect things to ramp up after Easter as we move toward September events.

Redrow Homes South Midlands

  Bedfordshire Schools Trust – BEST

Country Properties

John R Ford

The Garage

Living Life magazine

Shefford Tai Chi

The Industrial Marketing Agency

Lesley Whiteman Social Media

Shefford Local

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.