Vintage festival handed £16k boost for seaside event

Morecambe town councillors Margaret Pattison, Paul Hart, Monika Stenneken and Lee Bradbury present £16,000 to support Vintage By The Sea

One of the largest free vintage festivals in the UK has been awarded £16,000 for this year's seaside event.

Morecambe's Vintage By The Sea Festival has been given funding by the town council to help expand its programming and accommodate growing visitor numbers to the Lancashire town.

The festival, which takes place on 31 August and 1 September, has welcomed more than 50,000 people to Morecambe and contributed an estimated £1.5 million to the local economy.

Lee Bradbury, chairman of Morecambe Town Council’s festivals, sponsorships and events committee, said it had helped put "Morecambe back on the map".

'Crown jewel'

The Vintage By The Sea Festival has brought in more than 50,000 visitors to Morecambe

The event, run by Deco Publique in partnership with designer Wayne Hemingway, celebrated its 10th anniversary last year and also won Best Large Scale Event at the Marketing Lancashire awards.

Mr Bradbury said the organisers' ethos for working in partnership with local businesses, community organisations, educators and creatives makes it a festival that "does so much more for the town than simply boost the resort’s visitor numbers".

"Vintage By The Sea is one of the crown jewels in Morecambe’s festival and events calendar, and has really helped put Morecambe back on the map over the last decade," he added.

"It is truly ingrained in the fabric of the Morecambe community, and we can’t imagine a summer without it."

Lauren Zawadzki, co-director of Deco Publique and festival director, said the funding will ensure the festival remains free for all to enjoy, "creating a lasting impact on the vibrant community of Morecambe and visitors alike".

She said the funding from Morecambe Town Council will allow the team to also support a variety of projects in the community.