Newsletter - October 2022
Message from the Festival Chair, Robert Haskins
Well, all the hard work was worth it! What a great 10 days we had. Our 44th Season was a great success. The super programme proved really popular and many of the events were packed out.
A huge ‘thank you’ to all involved. To the planning committee who worked so hard to organise such a wide and varied programme. To Wetherby Lions in providing bar facilities and other support. To the venues for allowing us to use their facilities. To the fantastic performers and speakers who came from far and wide to entertain us so well. And, of course, massive thanks to all of you who supported the Festival by turning out in such large numbers.
Our sponsors came up trumps in helping us pay the substantial financial costs involved - such as hire of rooms, paying performers, renting sound systems and other technical equipment, providing lighting, staging etc.
Our Wetherby Ward Councillors, Alan Lamb, Norma Harrington and Linda Richards, did us proud to secure a donation of £2,000 from the Leeds City Council Communities Fund. Wetherby Town Council donated a further £250. Our local councillors continue to be such great supporters of the Festival and it really is appreciated.
We were also fortunate that Wetherby law firm, Hartlaw, again generously sponsored the excellent Literary Lunch. Local estate agents, Renton and Parr, continued their long-standing support with another very welcome donation. Without these funds, putting on the various events would be a real struggle, so my sincere thanks on behalf of the Festival Committee for the support given by all our sponsors.
As we are now starting to plan for 2023, we welcome feedback on the events at the recent Festival, along with ideas as to what you would like to see in the future. In this respect, the button below takes you to a short survey. Please help us with the survey whether you attended an event or not. The more opinions we can gather the better to help our planning and bring the right events for next year.
If you are interested in helping with planning the 2023 Festival, you will be made very welcome. We are all volunteers but you will be joining a great team. I encourage you to think about getting involved. I can be contacted by email at chairman@wetherbyfestival.co.uk and will be pleased to provide further information about how you can help.
Robert Haskins
Festival Chair
