36 replies to this topic

[Kitelife]

This from our good friend Avril Baker...

Dear kite flyer/kite group,

I am writing to see if you or your club/group might be able to help support this year’s Bristol International Festival of Kites and Air Creations which is due to take place over the weekend of 12 & 13 September.

Background:

Plans are going well - exhibitors and traders are confirming and invitations are going out to kite guests. But this year is proving really tough for everyone, and businesses and organisations are just not spending on marketing or sponsoring events. The bottom line is that to go ahead we need to raise at least £10,000 to fund essential on site infrastructure and cover the costs of flyers and participants - or else we may have to cancel.

We have launched a special fundraising campaign aimed at businesses, the kite industry, kite enthusiasts/clubs/societies and the public. We are fortunate to have strong local, national and international support for the Festival, and hope that by offering opportunities for businesses and individuals we can raise much needed funds, and at the same time supporters can benefit from being a part of our Festival.

The Festival was started by Martin Lester, myself and another colleague and is still organised and run by a small team of local flyers on a voluntary basis. It has become a major event in the South West and is well known within the international kite world. The Festival pulls in crowds of over 30,000 people and last year we had peaks of over 2,200 daily hits to the Festival website and were thrilled that both BBC Blue Peter and Channel 4’s Scrap Heap Challenge filmed over the weekend.

So how you can help!

We have three packages for businesses, organisations and/or individuals: Gold (£1,000), Silver (£500) and Bronze (£50). In addition, local people are invited to get behind the event by becoming a Friend of the Festival for a donation of £20. In return for their donation all supporters will receive a commemorative Bristol Blue Glass kite-themed coaster being created especially for the Festival.

Supporters who take up one of the top three packages can benefit from promotional and corporate opportunities providing publicity and profile in the run up to the Festival, and also have the chance to get involved during the weekend. Gold supporters will have their own branded Japanese kite made and flown in the kite fighting battles and have an opportunity to fly some of the stars of the show. Silver supporters will see their names flying high on an air banner attached to one of the large special shape kites. Bronze supporters will be thanked publicly at the festival and have their names included on the Bristol 2009 Serpent kite which will be displayed and flown at the Festival and afterwards by Avon Kite Flyers Club.

I am contacting you to see if you can help support us. I would also be grateful if you could spread the word and forward this message on to any of your friends or contacts who might also be interested. Would you also be able to post this message on your club newsletter or add it to your website if you have one?

We have given ourselves a month to see if we can secure some support. If there isn’t a realistic chance of covering our costs or underwriting the event in some way, we will have to make the difficult decision to cancel this year’s Festival, in which case we would of course refund any pledges made. Cancelling would be a huge disappointment to all our flyers, exhibitors and our new nominated charity Marie Curie Cancer Care, as well as the many members of the public who come along every year and join in the fun. We are determined to do everything we can to go ahead this year and also to make it to 2010 - which will not only mark our 25th year but also give us the chance to join in the exciting celebrations for the Bristol Year of Flight.”

If you can help, please visit www.kite-festival.org.uk/friends-of-the-festival or make a cheque payable to: Bristol Kite Festival and post to c/o Festival Office, 5 Lilymead Avenue, Bristol BS4 2BY. If the Festival is cancelled all donations will be refunded.

For any sponsorship enquiries or fundraising ideas please do contact me

Thank you very much i

Avril Baker

Festival office
5 Lilymead Avenue BRISTOL BS4 2BY
email: kites [at] abc-pr.co (dot) uk
tel: 0117 977 2002
fax: 0117 977 4255

[Madquad]

What you say John !!!!!!,
Great Great Friend is Avril, she did a wonderfull job last year.
I hope there will be a great festival this year too !!!!.

[big bri]

HERE,HERE,

BRIAN...

[Sailor99]

Don't think twenty squid is a lot to ask.................

[Kitelife]

Ya, if I wasn't so strapped for cash I'd be all over it... They've done a good job of making sponsorship accessible to everyone.

[Felix Mottram]

Ya, if I wasn't so strapped for cash I'd be all over it... They've done a good job of making sponsorship accessible to everyone.

I'm wondering if there is something that we could raffle from this forum for the benefit of the event.

I know that some of us contributed significantly last year in order to EDIT <help> facilitate the Rev celebration.

Felix

Edited by Felix Mottram, 17 June 2009 - 11:06 AM.

[Felix Mottram]

Don't think twenty squid is a lot to ask.................

If the participants at the event last year were all prepared to make such a contribution I am sure that it would help.

I know that all the registered fliers owe me a 'beer' anyway so I will leave it to you to decide that it is payback time <grins>

Felix

[Sailor99]

Yes john Tough times and it is hardly on your turf to be fair.

Only one thing in my bag that is genuine rev and bid worthy and I couldn't bring myself to part with that. How about one of your old team 1s felix. I suspect it would raise a whack - nice kites but the name of the designer escapes me. Not sure if they are still in use of course so it maybe off the mark.

[Felix Mottram]

Yes john Tough times and it is hardly on your turf to be fair.

Only one thing in my bag that is genuine rev and bid worthy and I couldn't bring myself to part with that. How about one of your old team 1s felix. I suspect it would raise a whack - nice kites but the name of the designer escapes me. Not sure if they are still in use of course so it maybe off the mark.

Who would want to bid/buy a raffle ticket for a beaten up sail even if it was designed by Jørgen Møller Hansen? <grins>

I suppose we could put a reserve on one c£1,000 and see what happens.

My thought was for something more contemporary, maybe a Bazz kite with a Bristol Signature... 2008 teams...

Felix

[big bri]

Seems tobe a frightening trend of Festivals not getting the funding.Both Locally & Nationally.

When British Airways is asking its staff to work for nothing.Things are in a state.

Raffle sounds Kewl,

ILE HAVE A PITCHAs Worth

BRIAN...

[Sailor99]

Jorgen Moller Hansen - yes that's it. I think you do them a disservice. As I think I have said to you before, I think the simplicity of the design is fantastic. As we all know good design never ages, even if it does become a bit stretched and wrinkly - at least that's what I tell the rear admiral.

[Felix Mottram]

Jorgen Moller Hansen - yes that's it. I think you do them a disservice. As I think I have said to you before, I think the simplicity of the design is fantastic. As we all know good design never ages, even if it does become a bit stretched and wrinkly - at least that's what I tell the rear admiral.

The designs are great. Maybe we should get a pair of kites sewn up in one of the old designs and raffle them.

Felix

[Sailor99]

I'd buy some tickets.........

Edited by Sailor99, 18 June 2009 - 01:02 AM.

[david ellison]

me too

[Hezz]

That's a great idea. I'd be in !

Hezz

[beach]

Hello Family, thought I'd missed this one huh, no,no,no, I've been really sick with new medication and have been kind of lost........
But I'm back and taking ideas of how to help, raffle a kite would be great, say a one of a kind masterpiece....... Also a save Bristol
pin that can only be gotten by donating to the cause, I'm open Family so lets get this party started........Ben

[Sailor99]

@ Ben Thought for you - the festival was originally the vision of Avril, John Payton and Martin Lester. Now, have any of them ever done any work with Rev Ben

[bartman]

I'd buy a $10.00 raffle ticket for any Rev kite!

Bart

[Felix Mottram]

I'd buy a $10.00 raffle ticket for any Rev kite!

Bart

Would $20.00 be OK for a special one?

Felix

[bartman]

With JB's raffles lately and other day-to-day expenses $10.00 is tops for me no matter how special it is. Sorry, others probably are fine with $20.00.

Bart