Volunteer appeal for Ryedale Book Festival (From Gazette & Herald)

Volunteer appeal for Ryedale Book Festival

11:00am Wednesday 12th September 2012 in News By Karen Darley

VOLUNTEERS are being invited to get involved in next month’s Ryedale Book Festival which is being backed by local businesses and organisations.

Support for the event, on Saturday, October 20, has been growing with offers of help ranging from sponsorship to providing venues and prizes.

Sarah Tyson, festival co-ordinator, said Malton Community Interest Company (CIC) and the We Love Malton Events Group had been behind the event from an early stage and helped to pay for some of the setting up costs.

“North Yorkshire County Council’s youth service and the libraries have donated funding in kind and have really helped to spread the word,” she said.

“More recently, Norton Town Council has agreed to sponsor a children’s event at the festival and Ryedale District Council has awarded a small arts grant, which together with the invaluable experience and support of their creative economy officer Yvette Turnbull is much appreciated. So too is the support of the mayors of Malton and Norton.”

Sarah said that it was the support of local businesses who have rallied round to sponsor the huge variety of children’s activities, offered their venues to be used free of charge, provided accommodation for visiting writers, assisted with publicity or donated prizes that have really made the festival viable.

“All of this overwhelmingly generous and kind support means that the festival has turned into the collaborative event that it was always intended to be,” she said.

“There are too many supporters to identify them all but those who know they have contributed should understand they are being thanked by the committee and trustees.”

Sarah said volunteers had also been busy collecting books and selling them at market stalls to raise money for the festival.

“As the market stalls are an effective way to publicise the festival, it is hoped that volunteers can attend further markets this month, so we would love to hear from anyone willing to donate good quality books of any kind,” she said.

“We would also love to hear from anyone interested in becoming a volunteer and helping out at the event.”

The next festival meeting will be held on Thursday, September 20, at the Milton Rooms in Malton.

For more information visit www.ryedalebookfestival.com Tickets for the festival are now on sale at the Malton Tourist Information Centre.

The closing date for entries in the short story and poetry competition is Saturday. Poems or short stories, with completed form and £2, should be returned to the Milton Rooms in Malton.