'I took out loan to save jazz festival's legacy'

Jim Simpson has been running the festival for 41 years at venues across Birmingham and Sandwell

A man who has been filling the streets of Birmingham with jazz music for more than four decades was forced to take out a personal loan to keep the legacy going.

The Birmingham Jazz and Blues Festival has taken place for its 41st consecutive year, despite losing £45,000 in funding from Birmingham City Council and private sponsors.

Passionate about keeping it going, founder Jim Simpson - who was Black Sabbath's first manager - resorted to partly plugging the funding gap from his own pocket.

A spokesperson for Birmingham City Council said it has recently had to make "very difficult budgetary decisions" but "it is committed to working with partners to secure external funding".

Artists have travelled from as far as Italy to perform in Birmingham as part of the festival

Mr Simpson said: "It's extremely disappointing, when we had the first funding cut from Birmingham City Council last year we lost £15,000 which was a major part of our funding.

"We decided, instead of just lying down and whimpering about it, we'd do something positive, so we put on the biggest festival we've ever put on.

"This year we've had a further cut, which left us with a very low sum of money, the only way to proceed was to go to the bank and take out a personal loan.

"We've had some support since then, from West Midlands Combined Authority, Sandwell Council and a GoFundMe fundraiser, but it is going to be tough," he added.

The performances are taking place at a range of venues across Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Sandwell

Despite the challenges the organisers have faced, this year's 10-day festival headliners have included a celebration of Billie Holiday's music by Lady Sings the Blues, and King Pleasure & The Biscuit Boys

Between 18 to 27 July, 178 performances were scheduled to take place at 103 venues in Sandwell, Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Sutton Coldfield and Solihull, with more than 95% free to attend.

Singer Veronica Sbergia of Max & Veronica said: "In the music scene we are struggling, we need this kind of event, we need a place where people can gather and feel safe to enjoy music and arts.

"We absolutely need to keep the festival alive."

Mr Simpson added: "The public's support and generosity has also been extraordinary. We are inspired by the ordinary folk who make donations, however small, and who write to us telling us how important this festival is to them."