Cash windfalls for Shrewsbury groups and projects

A music festival, heritage organisation and interfaith group were among the causes to receive cash from Shrewsbury Town Council.

In total almost £6,000 has been handed out to groups working on projects that will benefit the community. The two recipients to receive the largest share of the cash were Shrewsbury Fields Forever Festival and 16th Shrewsbury Guides.

Organisers of the music festival had asked for £2,500 to provide a Shrewsbury communities tent at the event. It is hoped it will be open for all three days of the festival from July 15 to 17.

The guides will use the money to buy new tents. The guides' current equipment has not been used for nearly 10 years but the unit hopes to soon start going on camping trips as part of their activities. The current tents are rotten and the funding now means the girls could be able to go on two camping trips next year, including a jamboree.

The council also gave £1,200 to the Shrewsbury Heritage organisation for Shakespeare Day on April 23. The event will mark the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death and the heritage group plans to mark it with a selection of performances.

Organisers hope there could be about 12 scenes performed around the town and with choreographers, musicians and costumes, the event could cost as much as £4,500.

The Fairness, Respect, Equality, Shropshire organisation was awarded £1,000 towards Cultural Diversity Day which will be held on July 23. The event has been run every year since 2007 apart from just two years.

The council awarded £750 to the Shrewsbury Interfaith Forum as funding to the Shrewsbury Multicultural Fun Day.

The forum is mainly funded through activities run by the group along with donations and fundraising.

The Multicultural Fun Day will be the sixth of its kind and will include Chinese dancing, Bhangra dancers and Greek music.

Art workshops and international food will be on offer along with information on the world religions based in Shrewsbury.

The event is expected to cost a total of £1,850 including £400 from the group's fundraising, £400 from its reserves and £300 from sponsorship.

The money was allocated at a meeting of the council's finance and general purposes committee.