Blog Preston’s arts, culture and city events coverage plan secures major backing

Crowds at the Windrush Festival in Avenham Park Pic: Paul Yates/Preston Photographic Society

Multiple projects aimed at helping boost arts, culture and sport in Preston and the surrounding area are set to receive a funding lift.

Blog Preston’s plan to increase its coverage of arts, culture and events in and around the city is one of those to have received a pledge of support from the Lancashire Culture and Sport Fund.

We launched our crowdfunder on Spacehive in February and we’re now 70 per cent of the way towards our funding goal – with the Culture and Sport Fund contributing £2,602 towards the total needed.

Co-editor Kate Rosindale who will lead on our push on events and arts coverage said: “I’m absolutely delighted that we’ve won this funding, it’s a great vote of confidence in what we’re doing.

“But we only actually get that money if we hit the total crowdfunder target, so it’s all systems go to raise the remaining amount in the next three weeks.”

More than 50 people and organisations have so far backed our crowdfunder on Spacehive. If you’re able to support us then please consider making a pledge on the Spacehive link.

Other projects in and around Preston who have bid into the Fund include Preston Symphony Orchestra who have now raised more than £4,000 to establish a new orchestra for the city.

Preston City Council’s finance chief and deputy leader councillor Martyn Rawlinson, acting in a personal capacity, is looking to put on a Best of Lancashire concert as part of Lancashire Encounter and there’s also a bid to put on more live outdoor music at The Orchard bar in the Market by Gary Quinn.

St Stephen’s Church are funding to create a mural at the Hartington Hut and Preston City Mela wants to provide instruments and training for young South Asian people in the city.

Fulwood Amateur Football Club are raising funds to put up floodlights to increase their training during the winter while Leyland Skatepark want to improve their indoor skatepark.

All the projects which are part of Crowdfund Lancashire can be seen on the funding site.

County Councillor Peter Buckley, Lancashire County Council’s cabinet member for community and cultural Services, said: “Since launching Crowdfund Lancashire in 2022, we’ve seen an array of innovative and diverse projects come forward and receive the funding they need to turn those ideas into a reality.

“We’ve been so impressed by what’s come forward and the way these have been supported by communities, with a number of exciting projects in the Preston area.

“Culture and sport runs through the very fabric of Lancashire’s identity so it is no surprise that Preston in particular would answer our call for ideas.

“We now have a number of projects that are already making a positive impact in their local communities and are confident there will be many more to come.”

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