Villagers have just three days to save popular summer music festival

ORGANISERS of the popular Milford Music and Arts Festival have warned the summer event will be called off unless £5,000 and new volunteers can be found by Friday.

The busy event is scheduled to run from 8th-14th July with a theme inspired by the 50th anniversary of the Flower Power movement and the first moon landing. It has run for 14 years and attracts thousands of visitors to the village centre.

However, the committee which organises the festival is warning that it will forced to cancel unless it gets enough funding and more people come forward to help out.

Committee chairman Nova Milesko told the A&T: “This is a call to action for Milford Music and Arts Festival.

“We have spent hundreds of hours getting the festival ready for this year, with a fantastic musical line up, including an REM cover, the New Forest Big Swing Band, the New Forest Orchestra, Hendrix and Clapton cover acts, Morris dancers, choirs, celtic folk, ska, storytellers and much more.”

Currently the festival team estimates it still needs at least 70 volunteers to help out for at least a couple of hours on a variety of tasks: from selling programmes and raffle tickets to litter-picking and cup washing.

Nova said: “We are also looking for a site manager with event management and health and safety experience who will be available to run the festival site throughout the weekend.

“Please do support the festival so we can continue to put on this fantastic event for the village. We can’t do this without you. It is up to you. Please step up or we will have to shut down.”

The committee is also looking for villagers to become Friends of the Festival by pledging £30 or more in exchange for a discount card for shops and businesses around the village.

It is also hoped local businesses will help out with sponsorship of the event.

Nova added: “We have had to set a deadline of Friday 17th May to achieve these requirements or we will unfortunately have to cancel this year.”

Anyone who can help out with fundraising or volunteering is asked to email hello@milfordfestival.com or write to Milford Festival, Lowood House, Barnes Lane, SO41 0RL by Friday 17th May.