Sponsorship opportunities still available for inaugural food festival

Commercial sponsorship opportunities are still available for local businesses and organisations that want to get involved in the first Reepham Food Festival, which will be held on the weekend of 27-28 May 2017.
 

Photo: John Tym Photography

 
Food festival organisers Reepham & District Rotary Club recently hosted an evening at St Michael’s for potential participants, with club president The Ven. Arthur Hawes welcoming around 20 guests from the town and surrounding district (pictured).
 
Co-chairman of the organising committee Richard Cooke noted that there are a growing number of food-related events, but that Reepham is particularly good at festivals and aims to make this one different by involving everyone in the community.
 
The meeting included representatives of Reepham Town Council, the Chamber of Commerce, Reepham schools, the WI, the Scouts and the Young Farmers, as well as several food and drink-related businesses.
 
The purpose of the meeting was to hear what these organisations want from the festival and to build these ideas into the event planning. Many useful ideas were put forward, said Mr Cooke.
 
The festival will provide a range of opportunities for community get-together, with plans including an opening cocktail party, a breakfast, a picnic area and a closing supper.
 
The organisers are particularly keen to involve young people. A team is working with the local schools to look at many aspects of food and the opportunities for students in further education and employment; they are also aiming to involve young people in the delivery of events.
 
Another aim of the festival is to create opportunities for local businesses and organisations – and not just the food-related ones.
 
The event represents a chance to let the people of Norfolk – and visitors from further afield – know where Reepham is. There is an aggressive plan for promotion and the festival is tapped into Norfolk Food & Drink, which works to publicise local food events.
 
Fundraising is going well and the food festival has already received grants from Reepham Town Council and Broadland District Council, as well as sponsorship from Holden Motors, Poultex and Ben Burgess. There are other discussions in progress and still more opportunities for businesses who want to make a name for themselves.
 
For those who would like to know about plans for the food festival, Rotary club representatives will be at the Bircham Centre, Market Place, Reepham from 9 am – 12 noon on Wednesday 9 November and Saturday 12 November.
 
There will be displays of the plans for the festival, leaflets to take away and people available to listen to any ideas.
 
For further information, contact Richard Cooke 07889 036852 or info@reephamfoodfestival.org.uk
 
See our earlier story:

 

Left to right: George Craig, senior surveyor, Targetfollow; Geoff Fisher, editor, Reepham Life; and Richard Cooke, organising committee, Reepham Food Festival. Photo: John Tym Photography

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